Utrogestan and Prometrium are identical to the natural progesterone produced by humans, but they could be patented under the name "micronized progesterone" because they are processed in a formulation that can be delivered in small amounts (sustained release and increased half-life). The progesterone used in compounded products (NOT recommended/licensed in UK) is exactly the same molecule extracted from plants (soybeans and Mexican yam) but cannot be patented because it is natural and is not processed in a formulation that can be patented (yet, because this is only a matter of how much money/power and time you have to develop a new delivery route, such as a patch).
I would appreciate if all pharmaceuticals (big and small) were interested in developing a progesterone patch!
This is completely wrong! I can't believe that this misinformation is still out there on the internet! The progesterone that is used in all progesterone products whether micronised, compounded, commercial cream or whatever - is all exactly the same ie a compound that is biologically identical to the progesterone in our bodies!
All of it has to be synthesised/manufactured - or whatever term you like to use - in the lab or factory from the raw product - DIOSGENIN - which is extracted from soy and yam. The body cannot make progesterone, DHEA or anything of our steroid hormones from Diosgenin.
I tried to look into where all the pure progesterone came from that all the companies ( pharma, compounders, cream-makers etc) a while back but couldn't find the supply chain/manufacturing pathway and the companies responsible - but they will likely all get the raw material (pure progesterone) from the same sources - and the resulting product will have no trace of soy or yam. It is all "natural" (or not) depending on how you define this.
Progesterone cannot be made into a patch because it is extremely unstable which is why it has to be taken in very large amounts in the body. It is great that the micronising process was invented - thus opening up this treatments to thousands of other women 
. As far as I know even dydrogesterone ( the progestogen in Femoston) can't be made in patch form for the same reason - but I might be wrong there....!https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4800604/
Hurdity x
I dont't know if you don't get what I'm saying because I'm not expressing myselft clearly or if there's any other reason.
When I say Utrogestan and Prometrium are identical to the natural progesterone we produce, what's wrong with that? I am saying exactly what you said, that they are all biologically identical, or isomolecular.
Nowhere in my post I said that they don't have to be manufactured...
When I said that the prog used in the creams is extracted from natural sources... maybe I forgot to put a comma after "exactly the same molecule, but extracted from plants..." meaning only that the sources are different but both (compounded or regulated) are the same molecule.
The process of micronization is patented, not the progesterone itself, what's wrong here?
I'm aware of the challenges to make a progesterone patch. You have to understand that this is just a matter of time, effort, research, money and interest. There is no such thing as "Progesterone cannot be made into a patch...." this is a line of research under development, it only depends on finding the right technology to achieve it.
I'm sorry if I don't express myself as clearly as you like but I'm not advocating anything here. I'm a biologist and know that all progesterone (molecule, not label) available on the market is processed in some way. There are very different produtcs available marketed as "progesterone creams" but only the ones that are graded USP and manufactered by established Compounding Pharmacies can be trusted to some extent, not the ones sold online that emphasize the natural, yam, soy, etc aspect in order to deceive people.
I sincerely hope that you can understand that I'm not saying that someone would benefit from compounded produtcs in any way. I also hope that you can understand that this is all about informed decision (what HRT do you want to put in your system) and there is only one way to be informed: discussing whatever information/technology/science/products are available to discuss. I have an open mind to discuss approaches that seem to work, despite no scientifc evidence is available, YET. It seems to me that this is the main difference in this discussion with you, you seem to be stuck on rules, guidelines and regulations (which I highly appreciate) but this field (menopause) is not so black and white as you put it. I know that many women come to this forum in emotional distress or don't have time to read or is not interested in reading the more technical info and you are concerned that they may read some posts and jump into conclusions. That is a possibility and it's a risk we have to address more frequently, but that is valid for every HRT regime that is discussed here, not only "compounded".
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Topic: Can not taking progesterone make you feel worse? I thought it was the opposite! (Read 19385 times)