UF College of Medicine receives grants to investigate various medications used in women’s health

The University of Florida College of Medicine has received three grants to help investigate a variety of medications used in the field of women’s health.

UF will serve as a clinical trial site for research studies of injectable contraceptives, endometriosis and osteoporosis.

Simon Kipersztok, M.D., an associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology’s division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, will head the UF component of the following research studies:

·UF will use a $119,000 grant from Pharmacia Corp. to participate in a two-year study comparing the effectiveness of Depo-Provera injected into the skin versus muscle. The contraceptive currently is administered intramuscularly every three months in a health-care provider’s office. If injecting Depo-Provera into the skin works well, potential benefits include a less painful procedure and the possibility that patients would be able to administer their own injections at home. UF, one of 90 study sites worldwide, will seek participants through the fall.

·A second Pharmacia-funded study will look at the use of Depo-Provera as a treatment for endometriosis, a disease that affects about 10 percent of women. Endometriosis is characterized predominantly by pain and infertility. The $30,000 grant will fund an 18-month study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of Depo-Provera injected in the skin with the commonly used endometriosis medication Lupron Depot. Lupron Depot, which works by turning off ovarian function and creating a “reversible menopausal” state, causes a number of symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleeplessness and irritability. Although studies have established that Depo-Provera can help alleviate endometriosis pain, the two products have never been compared directly. UF is one of 30 trial sites and will seek participants through early fall.

·A yearlong study funded by Merck & Co. Inc. will compare two commonly used medications for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The $28,000 grant will enable UF to serve as one of 40 sites across the country to assess the medications Fosamax and Evista to determine which is better for treating postmenopausal women who have very poor bone mineral density or who are at significant risk of fracture. UF will seek participants through late fall.

For more information about these clinical trials, please call 352-392-6200.