Jul. 20 – Israeli company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its New Drug Application (NDA) for Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive pill and is expanding its over-the-counter access for consumers age 17 or older. The product will be available at licensed US retail pharmacies within the next month. According to the company, when taken as directed, within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, Plan B One-Step is highly effective in reducing the chance of pregnancy. Teva says that about seven out of eight women who would have otherwise become pregnant will not, after taking the pill. It stresses that the pill should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex, for the sooner it is taken, the more effective it will be. It will not work if a woman is already pregnant and it will not terminate an existing pregnancy. Teva, which is based in Israel, is among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world and is the world’s leading generic pharmaceutical company. More than 80 percent of Teva’s sales are in North America and Europe.