Two new forms of emergency contraception have been licensed and can now be sold in Malta, the Medicines Authority announced today. 

Levonelle 1500 mcg and Escapelle 1500mcg tablets have received the necessary authorisation from the Superintendent of Public Health and will soon be making their way onto shelves in local pharmacies.

The two products join another form of emergency contraception, ellaOne 30mg tablets, which were already available on the market. 

Levonelle and Escapelle, both of which contain the active ingredient levonorgestrel, were recommended for licensing by a parliamentary committee which last year discussed the merits of opening the doors to emergency contraception. They join another form of emergency contraception, ellaOne 30mg tablets, already available on the market. 

EllaOne tablets are centrally licensed by the EU and therefore did not require local market authorisation. 

In a statement announcing the licensing of the two new pharmaceuticals, the Medicines Authority noted that the European Medicines Authority had stated that ellaOne is not abortifacient and that the World Health Organisation had found that "in some countries emergency contraception is not available on the false grounds that it causes abortion." 

The Authority said that it had shouldered its responsibilities "without fear or favour, in line with the legislation."

Earlier this week, two leading opponents of emergency contraception filed a judicial protest against the Medicines Authority, accusing it of having allowed "chemical abortions" by approving the sale of emergency contraception.