§ 201.301 Notice to manufacturers, packers, and distributors of estrogenic hormone preparations.

Some drug preparations fabricated wholly or in part from estradiol and labeled as to potency in terms of international units or in terms of international units of estrone activity have been marketed. The international unit of the estrus-producing hormone was established by the International Conference on the Standardization of Sex Hormones at London, England, on August 1, 1932. This unit was defined as “the specific estrus-producing activity contained in 0.1 gamma ( = 0.0001 mg.) of the standard” hydroxyketonic hormone found in urine (estrone). The International Conference declared that it did not recommend the determination of the activity of nonhydroxyketonic forms of estrogenic hormones in units of estrone because of the varying ratios between the activity of such nonhydroxyketonic estrogenic hormones and estrone, when measured by different methods on test animals. There is no international unit for measuring the activity of estradiol and no accepted relationship between its activity and that of estrone, either in test animals or in humans. The declaration of potency of estradiol in terms of international units or in terms of international units of estrone activity is therefore considered misleading, within the meaning of 21 U.S.C. 352(a). The declaration of the estradiol content of an estrogenic hormone preparation in terms of weight is considered appropriate.