BERKELEY, Calif. — Mayer Laboratories Inc. has relaunched the Today Sponge vaginal contraceptive in Canada, where it’s now available exclusively at all Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
Mayer Labs, the exclusive distributor of the Today Sponge in the United States, Europe and Canada, said Wednesday that it plans to support the launch with a national marketing campaign to inform women of the product’s return. The suggested retail price for a three-pack box is $18.49 to $18.99 (Canadian).
Shoppers Drug Mart has nearly 1,200 drug stores across Canada, including locations under the Pharmaprix banner in Quebec.
"We are pleased to relaunch the Today Sponge in Canada," stated David Mayer, chief executive officer of Mayer Labs. "The Today Sponge is an important, hormone-free birth control option for women and has always remained popular, with many advantages. The recent interruption of distribution was not due to product quality or lack of consumer interest but was the result of the previous owner’s bankruptcy."
The Today Sponge returned to U.S. store shelves in May 2009 at over 20,000 drug store locations, including CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, according to Mayer Labs, which added that the product quickly became the No. 2 best-selling female over-the-counter contraceptive in the United States and is the fastest-growing brand in that category.
More than 150 million Today Sponges have been sold since the product’s introduction in 1983, Mayer Labs reported.
Designed to provide 24-hour contraceptive protection, the soft, polyurethane sponge contains nonoxynol 9 — a spermicide used by millions of women for over 40 years — and prevents pregnancy in three ways: by blocking the sperm’s path; by absorbing the sperm; and by continuously releasing nonoxynol 9, which kills the sperm on contact, the company said.
Mayer Labs’ other products include Kimono condoms and Aqua Lube personal lubricants.
