Perrigo’s Over-the-Counter Opill Gets FDA Advisers’ Backing (1)

Perrigo Co.’s over-the-counter Opill gained a key recommendation from US regulatory advisers, paving the way for the birth-control pill to get clearance to be sold without a prescription.

Members of two Food and Drug Administration advisory committees voted 17-0 in support of using the progestin-only pill without a prescription, citing studies that support consumers’ ability to use the pill properly and touting its public health benefit. The agency isn’t required to follow its advisers’ recommendations, but often does.

Reproductive rights advocates have long argued that the prescription-only system creates unnecessary barriers to access and that oral contraception should be ...