Bayer Schering Pharma has announced that the Netherlands has given the green light to the firm’s YAZ as a contraceptive, and in the treatment of moderate acne in women seeking contraception. The German firm added that the Netherlands will act as reference member state for the Mutual Recognition Procedure to garner European Union-wide approval for the new low-dose 24-day oral contraceptive.

Bayer added that YAZ (drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol) which has been available in the USA since April 2006, is the fastest-growing oral contraceptive brand there. The drug is also the only oral contraceptive with “clinically-proven efficacy in the treatment of the emotional and physical symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, such as mood swings, irritability, anxiety, changes in appetite and eating habits, breast tenderness, bloating and headache.

The drugmaker added that it is also planning to seek EU approval for YAZ (drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol) to treat the physical and emotional symptoms of PMDD. In 2006, the Yasmin family of contraceptives, which includes YAZ and previously belong to recently-acquired Schering AG, had sales of 794 million euros.