Ethinylestradiol/desogestrel

Desogestrel/ethinylestradiol
Ethinylestradiol
Desogestrel
Combination of
Desogestrel Progestogen (Progestin)
Ethinylestradiol Estrogen
Clinical data
Trade names Marvelon, Desogen, Ortho-cept, others
Other names EE/DSG, EE-DSG, DSG+EE
AHFS/Drugs.com Professional Drug Facts
MedlinePlus a601050
Routes of
administration
By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
CAS Number

Desogestrel/ethinylestradiol (EE/DSG), sold under the brand name Marvelon among others, is a fixed-dose combination of desogestrel (DSG), a progestin, and ethinylestradiol (EE), an estrogen, which is used as a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy in women. It is taken by mouth.

It was approved for medical use in the United Kingdom in 1981, and in the United States in 1992. In 2020, it was the 120th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 5 million prescriptions.

See also