FDA Releases Final Classification for Natural Cycles, the First and Only Birth Control App in the U.S.

Following on from FDA clearance in 2018, a final order has been issued to classify Natural Cycles as a Class II medical device.

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Natural Cycles

Mar 07, 2019, 12:19 ET

NEW YORK, March 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) has issued a final order to classify Natural Cycles as a Class II device. The FDA is a federal agency in the United States (US) that is responsible for protecting and promoting public health. In August 2018, Natural Cycles' application for De Novo classification as a Class II medical device was granted by the FDA, making Natural Cycles the first app cleared in the US as a form of birth control.

Following the 2018 clearance, Natural Cycles' classification as a Class II medical device has been in effect since the initial approval. The final order is the last part of the approval process that establishes the required special controls and officially codifies the new regulation for this type of technology. Since the initial FDA approval, Natural Cycles has been operating under these special controls.

"We are pleased that the FDA recognizes that digital health technologies can empower consumers to make better-informed decisions about their own health. As the first and only app to be cleared in the US as a form of birth control, this approval is setting the framework and guidance for future developments in this area," said Raoul Scherwitzl, PhD, CEO and co-founder, Natural Cycles. "We welcome the FDA's decision to encourage innovation while ensuring the safety and efficacy of digital health products, including mobile medical apps. Our mission at Natural Cycles is to pioneer women's health with research and passion, and this final milestone marks a very important step in that journey."

For further information, please refer to the official FDA statement.

About Natural Cycles

Natural Cycles was founded in June 2013 by former CERN physicist, Dr Elina Berglund and her husband Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, who also has a background in physics. Natural Cycles is an effective, natural method of contraception that is delivered in the form of an app. It uses a smart algorithm that is sensitive to subtle patterns in a woman's cycle to determine daily fertility, based on basal body temperature and period data. Natural Cycles is 93% effective with typical use¹, which means that 7 women out of 100 get pregnant during 1 year of use. Natural Cycles is the only app of its kind to be available in Europe and the US for use as a contraceptive. The app can also be used to help plan a pregnancy when the time is right. Natural Cycles' mission is to pioneer women's health with research and passion, by empowering every woman with the knowledge she needs to be in charge of her health. Natural Cycles is headquartered in Sweden and has operations in the United States, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.