Warner Chilcott unwraps chewable birth-control pill

ROCKAWAY, N.J., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. firm Warner Chilcott said Thursday it has launched a spearmint-flavored, first-available chewable birth-control pill, Femcon Fe.

The company said the pill provides a convenient, new option for women "on-the-go," adding that the daily contraceptive's active ingredients and doses also relieve the breakthrough bleeding experienced with some birth-control therapies.

"Research has shown that compliance still impacts oral contraceptive failure rates, and anything we can do to make it easier for our patients to maintain a daily regimen is a notable advancement," Laurent Delli-Bovi, medical director of the Women's Health Services at Chestnut Hill Family Planning Facility in Boston, said in a statement issued by the company.

Warner Chilcott said studies show that 47 percent of women miss one or more pills per month, increasing their risk of pregnancy.