PLASMA-CONCENTRATIONS OF MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE, ESTRADIOL AND ESTRONE FOLLOWING ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF KLIMAXIL(R), TRISEQUENCE(R) PROVERA(R) AND DIVINA(R) - A RANDOMIZED, SINGLE-BLIND, TRIPLE CROSS-OVERBIOAVAILABILITY STUDY IN MENOPAUSAL WOMEN/

The absorption of estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate was invest igated in a randomized single-blind, triple cross-over study, in 12 me nopausal women, for four different HRT drugs (Klimaxil(R), a combinati on tablet containing 17 beta-estradiol 2 mg and medroxy-progesterone a cetate 5 mg; Divina(R), a combination tablet containing 17 beta-estrad iol valerate 2 mg and medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg; Trisequence(R ), a triphasic preparation containing 17 beta-estradiol 2 mg in the fi rst phase; Provera(R), a tablet containing medroxyprogesterone acetate 5 mg). Trisequence and Provera were ingested simultaneously. In concl usion, there was no statistically significant difference between the d rugs with respect to the estradiol levels. The estrone concentration, however, differed between the different drugs. The serum concentration was higher after intake of tablets containing estradiol than after in take of tablets containing the valerate ester. There was a significant increase in the MPA levels between periods 1 and 3. Finally, Divina p roduced higher MPA concentrations than Klimaxil and the combination of Trisequence and Provera, although the mean AUC was not twice as high, as might have been expected.