Women in the US will be given access to a new morning-after pill which is effective up to five days after sex, a manufacturer has said.
Food and drug regulators in the US granted approval for ella to be available on prescription only - a move which has drawn praise and criticism from advocates at both ends of the abortion debate following claims that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had allowed politics to overrule scientific opinion under the Bush administration.
Meanwhile, anti-abortion campaigners claim that the drug bears more of a resemblance to an abortion pill rather than a contraceptive pill and could potentially lead to side-effects similar to mifeprestone, which has been associated with severe infections and bleeding after abortion.
However, the regulator said no serious side-effects had been witnessed and last week approved the drug, which has been available in Europe for some time.
Kirsten Moore, president of the advocacy group Reproductive Health Technologies Project, said the FDA's decision restored the regulator's reputation following suggestions that it had been influenced by the previous Bush administration.
"Approval of ella is another indication that the FDA is committed to restoring scientific integrity in its decisions," she said.
In head-to-head trials, women who took ella had a 1.8% chance of becoming pregnant, while women who took Plan B, which loses its effectiveness within three days of sex, had a 2.6% chance.
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