Injectable Fertility Drugs
Injectable is the most common form of administration for Fertility Therapies. Injectable drugs include:
- Urofollitropin (Fertinex™)
- Follitropin beta (Follistim®)
- Pergonal
- Repronex™
- Humegon™
- Pregnyl
- Profasi®
- Novarel™
- A.P.L.
- Antagon™
- Zoladex (Monthly implant)
- Leuprolide (Lupron)
Medications for injection are typically provided in either an ampule or a vial:
An ampule is made entirely of glass. Ampules are opened by breaking the glass at a score line on the neck. This is typically done with a gauze square or an ampule snapper (a plastic tubing that fits over the neck of the ampule). Because glass particles may become dislodged when the ampule is opened, a filter straw and syringe are sometimes used to withdraw the contents. A filter straw is a small plastic tube that looks like a thin straw and attaches to a syringe just like a needle. Unlike a needle however, a filter straw contains a filtering mechanism to remove tiny glass (or other) particles.
A vial is made of glass and covered with a sealed rubber cap. The rubber cap must be penetrated with a needle in order to withdraw the medication.
Medication in ampules and vials can be supplied in either a liquid or powder form. Most fertility drugs are supplied as a powder and come with either a vial or ampule of diluent. The diluent is usually sterile water or a saline solution, which must be injected into the ampule or vial containing the medication powder. This process is known as reconstitution. Once the medication powder is dissolved in the diluent (reconstituted), it can be withdrawn with a needle and syringe for injection into the body.
The reason so many fertility medications are supplied in powder form is because they are not stable for a very long time in the liquid form. Because of this, many of these medications must be used immediately after reconstitution.
