Hydroxyprogesterone - 17P - for the Prevention of Preterm Delivery
Posted on Fri, May 14, 2010 @ 10:17 AM
Preterm delivery remains one of the most important issues facing perinatal medicine today. In 1999, prematurity/low birthweight accounted for 4,304 neonatal deaths, reflecting a rate of neonatal mortality due to prematurity of 23.0 per 100,000 live births. Despite the extent of the problem, the exact etiology of preterm delivery is not completely understood. 
There has been a resurgence of interest in the association between progesterone and preterm delivery. Two recent trials have looked at the utility of progesterone in the prevention of preterm delivery in high-risk patients. In a multicenter trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, Meis et al, recruited 463 patients with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery and randomized them in a 2:1 ratio to intramuscular 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate vs. placebo from 16-20 weeks until 36 weeks. Treatment with 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone significantly reduced the risk of delivery at <37 weeks, <35 weeks, and <32 weeks. The Yale Progesterone Study is an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the use of 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate for the treatment of preterm labor.
Where do I find 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate?
Bayview Pharmacy, Rhode Island's premier hydroxyprogesterone compounding pharmacy, has the ability to compound 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate, as a sterile injectable solution. As a leading 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate compounding pharmacy, our solutions for injection are compounded under the stringent USP <797> guidelines for sterile compounding.
An example of how you might prescribe follows:
Compounded Medication
17 Alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate 250mg/ml
Injection Solution
(4) prefilled 1ml syringes
Inject 1ml once a week as directed
Bayview Pharmacy is a unique 17 alpha hydoxyprogesterone compounding pharmacy in that we bill prescription drug insurances; so your insurance co-pays should not change. We also have the ability to ship medications via UPS.
For more information, please contact Ryan Dyer, RPh./Owner, M-F 9-6pm @ 401-284-4505, or fill out the "Ask the Pharmacist" form on our "About Prescription Compounding / Bayview Pharmacy" page.