Depo-Provera CI contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, a derivative of progesterone, as its active ingredient. Medroxyprogesterone acetate is active by the parenteral and oral routes of administration. It is a white to off‑white; odorless crystalline powder that is stable in air and that melts between 200°C and 210°C. It is freely soluble in chloroform, soluble in acetone and dioxane, sparingly soluble in alcohol and methanol, slightly soluble in ether, and insoluble in water. The chemical name for medroxyprogesterone acetate is pregn-4-ene-3, 20-dione, 17-(acetyloxy)-6-methyl-, (6α-). The structural formula is as follows: Depo-Provera CI for IM injection is available in vials and prefilled syringes, each containing 1 mL of medroxyprogesterone acetate sterile aqueous suspension 150 mg/mL. For Depo-Provera CI vials, each mL of sterile aqueous suspension contains: Medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg Polyethylene glycol 3350 28.9 mg Polysorbate 80 2.41 mg Sodium chloride 8.68 mg Methylparaben 1.37 mg Propylparaben 0.150 mg Water for injection quantity sufficient When necessary, pH is adjusted with sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid, or both. For Depo-Provera CI prefilled syringes, each mL of sterile aqueous suspension contains: Medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg Polyethylene glycol 3350 28.5 mg Polysorbate 80 2.37 mg Sodium chloride 8.56 mg Methylparaben 1.35 mg Propylparaben 0.147 mg Water for injection quantity sufficient When necessary, pH is adjusted with sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid, or both. chemical structure

Depo-Provera CI is indicated for use by females of reproductive potential to prevent pregnancy. Depo-Provera CI is a progestin indicated for use by females of reproductive potential to prevent pregnancy. Limitations of Use: The use of Depo-Provera CI is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate. (1, 5.1) Limitations of Use : The use of Depo-Provera CI is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate .

Sterile Aqueous suspension: 150 mg/mL Prefilled syringes are available packaged with 22-gauge x 1 1/2 inch Terumo® SurGuard™ Needles. • Vials containing sterile aqueous suspension: 150 mg per mL • Prefilled syringes: prefilled syringes are available packaged with 22-gauge x 1 1/2 inch Terumo® SurGuard™ Needles.

The recommended dose is 150 mg of Depo-Provera CI every 3 months (13 weeks) administered by deep, intramuscular (IM) injection in the gluteal or deltoid muscle

Prevention of Pregnancy Both the 1 mL vial and the 1 mL prefilled syringe of Depo-Provera CI should be vigorously shaken just before use to ensure that the dose being administered represents a uniform suspension. The recommended dose is 150 mg of Depo-Provera CI every 3 months (13 weeks) administered by deep intramuscular (IM) injection using strict aseptic technique in the gluteal or deltoid muscle, rotating the sites with every injection. As with any IM injection, to avoid an inadvertent subcutaneous injection, body habitus should be assessed prior to each injection to determine if a longer needle is necessary particularly for gluteal IM injection. Use for longer than 2 years is not recommended (unless other birth control methods are considered inadequate) due to the impact of long-term Depo-Provera CI treatment on bone mineral density (BMD) . Dosage does not need to be adjusted for body weight . To ensure the patient is not pregnant at the time of the first injection, the first injection should be given ONLY during the first 5 days of a normal menstrual period or within the first 5-days post‑partum. In post‑partum mothers who exclusively breastfeed, administer Depo‑Provera CI during or after the sixth post‑partum week. If the time interval between injections is greater than 13 weeks, the physician should determine that the patient is not pregnant before administering the drug. The efficacy of Depo-Provera CI depends on adherence to the dosage schedule of administration

Switching from Other Methods of Contraception When switching from other contraceptive methods, Depo-Provera CI should be given in a manner that ensures continuous contraceptive coverage based upon the mechanism of action of both methods, (e.g., patients switching from oral contraceptives should have their first injection of Depo-Provera CI on the day after the last active tablet or at the latest, on the day following the final inactive tablet).

• Thromboembolic Disorders: Discontinue Depo-Provera CI in patients who develop thrombosis. • Cancer Risks: Monitor women with a strong family history of breast cancer carefully. • Meningioma: Discontinue Depo-Provera CI if meningioma is diagnosed. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of meningioma. • Ectopic Pregnancy: Consider ectopic pregnancy if a woman using Depo-Provera CI becomes pregnant or complains of severe abdominal pain. • Anaphylaxis and Anaphylactoid Reactions: Provide emergency medical treatment. • Liver Function: Discontinue Depo-Provera CI if jaundice or disturbances of liver function develop. • Carbohydrate Metabolism: Monitor diabetic patients carefully. 5.1 Loss of Bone Mineral Density Use of Depo-Provera CI reduces serum estrogen levels and is associated with significant loss of bone mineral density (BMD). This loss of BMD is of particular concern during adolescence and early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion. It is unknown if use of Depo-Provera CI by younger women will reduce peak bone mass and increase the risk for osteoporotic fracture in later life. A study to assess the reversibility of loss of BMD in adolescents was conducted with Depo-Provera CI. After discontinuing Depo-Provera CI in these adolescents, mean BMD loss at the total hip and femoral neck did not fully recover by 5 years (60 months) post-treatment in the sub-group of adolescents who were treated for more than 2 years . Similarly, in adults, there was only partial recovery of mean BMD at the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine towards baseline by 2 years post-treatment . The use of Depo-Provera CI is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate. BMD should be evaluated when a woman needs to continue to use Depo-Provera CI long-term. In adolescents, interpretation of BMD results should take into account patient age and skeletal maturity. Other birth control methods should be considered in the risk/benefit analysis for the use of Depo-Provera CI in women with osteoporosis risk factors. Depo-Provera CI can pose an additional risk in patients with risk factors for osteoporosis (e.g., metabolic bone disease, chronic alcohol and/or tobacco use, anorexia nervosa, strong family history of osteoporosis or chronic use of drugs that can reduce bone mass such as anticonvulsants or corticosteroids)

Thromboembolic Disorders There have been reports of serious thrombotic events in women using Depo-Provera CI (150 mg). However, Depo-Provera CI has not been causally associated with the induction of thrombotic or thromboembolic disorders. Any patient who develops thrombosis while undergoing therapy with Depo-Provera CI should discontinue treatment unless she has no other acceptable options for birth control. Do not re-administer Depo-Provera CI pending examination if there is a sudden partial or complete loss of vision or if there is a sudden onset of proptosis, diplopia, or migraine. Do not re-administer if examination reveals papilledema or retinal vascular lesions

Cancer Risks Breast Cancer Women who have or have had a history of breast cancer should not use hormonal contraceptives, including Depo-Provera CI, because breast cancer may be hormonally sensitive . Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should be monitored with particular care. The results of five large case-control studies assessing the association between depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use and the risk of breast cancer are summarized in Figure 1. Three of the studies suggest a slightly increased risk of breast cancer in the overall population of users; these increased risks were statistically significant in one study. One recent US study 1 evaluated the recency and duration of use and found a statistically significantly increased risk of breast cancer in recent users (defined as last use within the past five years) who used DMPA for 12 months or longer; this is consistent with results of a previous study 2 . Figure 1. Risk estimates for breast cancer in DMPA users Odds ratio estimates were adjusted for the following covariates: Lee et al. (1987): age, parity, and socioeconomic status. Paul et al. (1989): age, parity, ethnic group, and year of interview. WHO (1991): age, center, and age at first live birth. Shapiro et al. (2000): age, ethnic group, socioeconomic status, and any combined estrogen/progestogen oral contraceptive use. Li et al. (2012): age, year, BMI, duration of OC use, number of full-term pregnancies, family history of breast cancer, and history of screening mammography. Based on the published SEER-18 2011 incidence rate (age-adjusted to the 2000 US Standard Population) of breast cancer for US women, all races, age 20 to 49 years, a doubling of risk would increase the incidence of breast cancer in women who use Depo-Provera CI from about 72 to about 144 cases per 100,000 women. Figure 1 Cervical Cancer A statistically nonsignificant increase in relative risk (RR) estimates of invasive squamous-cell cervical cancer has been associated with the use of Depo-Provera CI in women who were first exposed before the age of 35 years (RR 1.22 to 1.28 and 95% CI 0.93 to 1.70). The overall, nonsignificant RR of invasive squamous-cell cervical cancer in women who ever used Depo-Provera CI was estimated to be 1.11 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.29). No trends in risk with duration of use or times since initial or most recent exposure were observed. Other Cancers Long-term case-controlled surveillance of users of Depo-Provera CI found no overall increased risk of ovarian or liver cancer

Meningioma Cases of meningiomas have been reported following repeated administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate, primarily with long term use. Monitor patients on Depo-Provera CI for signs and symptoms of meningioma. Discontinue Depo-Provera CI if a meningioma is diagnosed

Ectopic Pregnancy Be alert to the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy among women using Depo-Provera CI who become pregnant or complain of severe abdominal pain

Anaphylaxis and Anaphylactoid Reaction Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reaction have been reported with the use of Depo-Provera CI. Institute emergency medical treatment if an anaphylactic reaction occurs

Injection Site Reactions Injection site reactions have been reported with use of Depo-Provera CI . Persistent injection site reactions may occur after administration of Depo-Provera CI due to inadvertent subcutaneous administration or release of the drug into the subcutaneous space while removing the needle

Liver Function Discontinue Depo-Provera CI use if jaundice or acute or chronic disturbances of liver function develop. Do not resume use until markers of liver function return to normal and Depo-Provera CI causation has been excluded

Convulsions There have been a few reported cases of convulsions in patients who were treated with Depo-Provera CI. Association with drug use or pre-existing conditions is not clear

Depression Monitor patients who have a history of depression and do not re-administer Depo-Provera CI if depression recurs

Bleeding Irregularities Most women using Depo-Provera CI experience disruption of menstrual bleeding patterns. Altered menstrual bleeding patterns include amenorrhea, irregular or unpredictable bleeding or spotting, prolonged spotting or bleeding, and heavy bleeding. Rule out the possibility of organic pathology if abnormal bleeding persists or is severe, and institute appropriate treatment. As women continue using Depo-Provera CI, fewer experience irregular bleeding and more experience amenorrhea. In clinical studies of Depo-Provera CI, by month 12 amenorrhea was reported by 55% of women, and by month 24, amenorrhea was reported by 68% of women using Depo-Provera CI

Weight Gain Women tend to gain weight while on therapy with Depo-Provera CI. From an initial average body weight of 136 lb, women who completed 1 year of therapy with Depo-Provera CI gained an average of 5.4 lb. Women who completed 2 years of therapy gained an average of 8.1 lb. Women who completed 4 years gained an average of 13.8 lb. Women who completed 6 years gained an average of 16.5 lb. Two percent of women withdrew from a large-scale clinical trial because of excessive weight gain

Carbohydrate Metabolism A decrease in glucose tolerance has been observed in some patients on Depo-Provera CI treatment. Monitor diabetic patients carefully while receiving Depo-Provera CI

Fluid Retention Because progestational drugs including Depo-Provera CI may cause some degree of fluid retention, monitor patients with conditions that might be influenced by this condition, such as epilepsy, migraine, asthma, and cardiac or renal dysfunction

Return of Fertility Return to ovulation and fertility is likely to be delayed after stopping Depo-Provera CI. In a large US study of women who discontinued use of Depo-Provera CI to become pregnant, data are available for 61% of them. Of the 188 women who discontinued the study to become pregnant, 114 became pregnant. Based on Life-Table analysis of these data, it is expected that 68% of women who do become pregnant may conceive within 12 months, 83% may conceive within 15 months, and 93% may conceive within 18 months from the last injection. The median time to conception for those who do conceive is 10 months following the last injection with a range of 4 to 31 months, and is unrelated to the duration of use. No data are available for 39% of the patients who discontinued Depo-Provera CI to become pregnant and who were lost to follow-up or changed their mind

Sexually Transmitted Infections Patients should be counseled that Depo-Provera CI does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections

Monitoring A woman who is taking hormonal contraceptive should have a yearly visit with her healthcare professional for a blood pressure check and for other indicated healthcare

Interference with Laboratory Tests The use of Depo-Provera CI may change the results of some laboratory tests, such as coagulation factors, lipids, glucose tolerance, and binding proteins .

Drugs or herbal products that induce certain enzymes, including CYP3A4, may decrease the effectiveness of contraceptive drug products. Counsel patients to use a back-up method or alternative method of contraception when enzyme inducers are used with Depo-Provera CI

Changes in Contraceptive Effectiveness Associated with Co-Administration of Other Products If a woman on hormonal contraceptives takes a drug or herbal product that induces enzymes, including CYP3A4, that metabolize contraceptive hormones, counsel her to use additional contraception or a different method of contraception. Drugs or herbal products that induce such enzymes may decrease the plasma concentrations of contraceptive hormones, and may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. Some drugs or herbal products that may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives include: • barbiturates • bosentan • carbamazepine • felbamate • griseofulvin • oxcarbazepine • phenytoin • rifampin • St. John's wort • topiramate HIV protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors : Significant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma levels of progestin have been noted in some cases of co-administration of HIV protease inhibitors. Significant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma levels of the progestin have been noted in some cases of co-administration with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Antibiotics : There have been reports of pregnancy while taking hormonal contraceptives and antibiotics, but clinical pharmacokinetic studies have not shown consistent effects of antibiotics on plasma concentrations of synthetic steroids. Consult the labeling of all concurrently-used drugs to obtain further information about interactions with hormonal contraceptives or the potential for enzyme alterations

Laboratory Test Interactions The pathologist should be advised of progestin therapy when relevant specimens are submitted. The following laboratory tests may be affected by progestins including Depo-Provera CI: (a) Plasma and urinary steroid levels are decreased (e.g., progesterone, estradiol, pregnanediol, testosterone, cortisol). (b) Gonadotropin levels are decreased. (c) Sex-hormone-binding-globulin concentrations are decreased. (d) Protein-bound iodine and butanol extractable protein-bound iodine may increase. T 3 -uptake values may decrease. (e) Coagulation test values for prothrombin (Factor II), and Factors VII, VIII, IX, and X may increase. (f) Sulfobromophthalein and other liver function test values may be increased. (g) The effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on lipid metabolism are inconsistent. Both increases and decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol have been observed in studies.