Benzinga | Feb 4, 2021 09:05AM EST

Evofem Biosciences and NCODA Announce Collaboration to Educate Oncology Community about Phexxi, A Non-Hormonal Birth Control Option for Women with Cancer

Evofem Biosciences, Inc., (NASDAQ:EVFM) and NCODA (National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc.), a premier educational platform for community and academic oncology practices nationwide, are launching a collaboration to positively impact the quality of life for female patients living with, fighting and recovering from cancer by raising awareness about the importance and availability of a new non-hormonal birth control method, Phexxi(r) (lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate).

Evofem and NCODA will work together to develop and share resources and educational information for the medically-integrated oncology pharmacy team to help support their female cancer patients in deciding which contraceptive option best meets each woman's unique, individual needs. The collaboration kicks off today -- World Cancer Day.

Every year in the United States, more than 800,000 new cases of cancer are reported among women.1 Many cancer treatment protocols require female patients of reproductive age to use birth control while undergoing treatment. Until the introduction of Phexxi in September 2020, non-hormonal prescription contraception options were starkly limited; previously, women were generally steered toward condoms or the copper IUD, a prescription medical device that is implanted in the uterus where it releases copper ions and causes inflammation.

"Women who are being or who have previously been treated for hormone-sensitive cancers should not use hormonal birth control because it may stimulate the growth of tumor cells," said Gury Doshi, M.D., Texas Oncology. "Non-hormonal birth control is the best option for these women, and it is important that each woman and her medical team evaluate and determine which of the two available hormone-free prescription contraceptives, a surgically implanted device or an on-demand vaginal pH modulator gel, is best for her."

"As a survivor of Stage III breast-cancer, this collaboration with NCODA is extremely important to me and to the entire Evofem team," said Saundra Pelletier, CEO of Evofem Biosciences. "I understand firsthand the extraordinary suffering - physical, mental, psychological and sexual - that women face during and after cancer treatment. We look forward to working with NCODA to support female cancer patients by ensuring they and their oncology teams, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare providers, are aware that there is now, finally, an FDA-approved, non-invasive, hormone-free contraceptive available: Phexxi."

"Our passion is for patients. Supporting the coordination and continuity of care while positively impacting the clinical outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients is paramount to our mission. Evofem has developed an innovation that will benefit female cancer patients during and long after their treatment ends. We look forward to building awareness of what we are confident will be a welcome addition to their treatment care plan," says Michael J. Reff, NCODA Founder & Executive Director.

NCODA will develop a Positive Quality Intervention (PQI) in connection with Phexxi. PQIs are part of the NCODA Quality Standards. These resources are designed to operationalize and standardize practices to achieve positive outcomes for patients. The resource will educate oncologists and other members of the medically-integrated oncology pharmacy team who are involved in the care of oncology patients who may be prescribed Phexxi.

Phexxi is the first and only FDA-approved, non-hormonal contraceptive vaginal gel. It is designed to be used immediately before or up to an hour before intercourse. It was approved in May 2020 and is now available in the U.S. by prescription.

Phexxi works to maintain vaginal pH, which reduces sperm mobility, lowering the chance of sperm reaching the egg, and is the first non-hormonal contraceptive method created for women in decades.