On April 9, 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was suspending sales of Premarin, an estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) drug, due to concerns about its safety. This announcement came after years of debate about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy (HT), which began when a large study called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) was terminated early in 2002 because HT increased the risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. Prior to the WHI study, most experts believed that HT posed no major health risks and might even provide some protection against heart disease and osteoporosis. However, the results of the WHI study showed that this was not the case, and many women stopped taking HT as a result.
Premarin was one of the most popular HT drugs on the market at the time it was suspended; approximately 6 million American women were taking it. The FDA's decision to suspend sales of Premarin came as a surprise to many people involved in women's health care. However, given the results of the WHI study, it is clear that there are serious risks associated with taking HT drugs like Premarin. If you are currently taking Premarin or any other HT drug, you should speak with your doctor about whether or not you should continue doing so.