Nevada Appeal at 150: May 10, 1960: Birth control pill wins FDA approval

The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved a birth control pill, a pharmaceutical firm announced yesterday.

Tests reportedly showed conception could be prevented by taking the pill for 20 days each month. At the present retail price of 54 cents a pill, this would cost $10.80 a month.

The FDA in Washington said it was clearing the drug for use as a contraceptive on the basis of company assurances that tests showed there were no harmful side effects.

FDA officials said clearance was based purely on a decision the pills would be safe under dosages prescribed by the company, and that no moral questions concerning their use were taken into consideration.

This continues the Appeal’s review of news stories and headlines during its Sesquicentennial year.