Has Quinacrine been approved by the FDA for use in female sterilization?
No. Even though quinacrine is a FDA approved drug, the FDA has not yet approved its use for female sterilization. Using quinacrine for this purpose is considered an “off-label” use. The off-label use of drugs is a perfectly legal, acceptable, and common practice. Treating lupus with quinacrine is an off-label use. Approximately 60% of all prescriptions written in the U.S. are for off-label use. In 100,000 cases, no deaths or life threatening complications have been reported. But there may be some risks, as with almost all contraceptives.
