Ethinylestradiol/drospirenone/prasterone

{{Short description|Combination drug}}

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| type = combo

| drug_name = Ethinylestradiol /
drospirenone / prasterone

| component1 = Ethinylestradiol

| class1 = Estrogen

| component2 = Drospirenone

| class2 = Progestogen; Progestin; Antimineralocorticoid; Antiandrogen

| component3 = Prasterone

| class3 = Androgen; Anabolic steroid; Androgen prohormone; Neurosteroid

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| legal_US = Rx-only

| routes_of_administration = By mouth

| class = Estrogen; Progestin; Progestogen; Antimineralocorticoid; Androgen; Anabolic steroid

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| synonyms = EE/DRSP/DHEA; Androgen Restored Contraceptive; ARC; Female Balance Pill; Pill-Plus; Triple Oral Contraceptive; Triple OC

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Ethinylestradiol/drospirenone/prasterone (EE/DRSP/DHEA), known under developmental code names like Androgen Restored Contraceptive (ARC), Female Balance Pill, Pill-Plus, and Triple Oral Contraceptive (Triple OC), is a combination of ethinylestradiol (EE), an estrogen, drospirenone (DRSP), a progestin, antimineralocorticoid, and antiandrogen, and prasterone (dehydroepiandrosterone; DHEA), an androgen prohormone and neurosteroid, which is under development for use as a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy in women.{{Cite web|url=https://adisinsight.springer.com/drugs/800026485|title=Drospirenone/Estradiol/Prasterone - ANI Pharmaceuticals/Pantarhei Bioscience - AdisInsight}} Clinical studies of this formulation have been conducted and published.{{cite journal | vauthors = Zimmerman Y, Wouters W, Coelingh Bennink HJ | title = The bioequivalence of the contraceptive steroids ethinylestradiol and drospirenone is not affected by co-administration of dehydroepiandrosterone | journal = Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care | volume = 18 | issue = 3 | pages = 206–14 | date = June 2013 | pmid = 23550808 | doi = 10.3109/13625187.2013.777831 | s2cid = 207523583 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Zimmerman Y, Coelingh Bennink HJ, Wouters W, Ebes F, Fauser BC | title = The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of dehydroepiandrosterone during use of an ethinylestradiol- and drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive | journal = Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care | volume = 18 | issue = 6 | pages = 489–500 | date = December 2013 | pmid = 23944295 | doi = 10.3109/13625187.2013.822061 | s2cid = 27326167 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Zimmerman Y, Foidart JM, Pintiaux A, Minon JM, Fauser BC, Cobey K, Coelingh Bennink HJ | title = Restoring testosterone levels by adding dehydroepiandrosterone to a drospirenone containing combined oral contraceptive: I. Endocrine effects | journal = Contraception | volume = 91 | issue = 2 | pages = 127–33 | date = February 2015 | pmid = 25604900 | doi = 10.1016/j.contraception.2014.11.002 | hdl = 1893/21273 | hdl-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Zimmerman Y, Foidart JM, Pintiaux A, Minon JM, Fauser BC, Cobey K, Coelingh Bennink HJ | title = Restoring testosterone levels by adding dehydroepiandrosterone to a drospirenone containing combined oral contraceptive: II. Clinical effects | journal = Contraception | volume = 91 | issue = 2 | pages = 134–42 | date = February 2015 | pmid = 25496917 | doi = 10.1016/j.contraception.2014.11.008 | hdl = 1893/21274 | hdl-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Coelingh Bennink HJ, Zimmerman Y, Laan E, Termeer HM, Appels N, Albert A, Fauser BC, Thijssen JH, van Lunsen RH | title = Maintaining physiological testosterone levels by adding dehydroepiandrosterone to combined oral contraceptives: I. Endocrine effects | journal = Contraception | volume = 96 | issue = 5 | pages = 322–329 | date = November 2017 | pmid = 27393080 | doi = 10.1016/j.contraception.2016.06.022 | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = van Lunsen RH, Zimmerman Y, Coelingh Bennink HJ, Termeer HM, Appels N, Fauser BC, Laan E | title = Maintaining physiologic testosterone levels during combined oral contraceptives by adding dehydroepiandrosterone: II. Effects on sexual function. A phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study | journal = Contraception | volume = 98 | issue = 1 | pages = 56–62 | date = July 2018 | pmid = 29490289 | doi = 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.02.014 | doi-access = free }} Estrogens and progestogens suppress testosterone levels in women, and the addition of 50 mg prasterone, an oral prohormone of testosterone, has been found to restore total testosterone levels to normal levels. However, free testosterone levels, although higher with the addition of prasterone, remain significantly lower than usual despite prasterone inclusion.