Could this pill stop the need for daily birth control?

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Medical researchers in the U.S say they've developed an experimental birth control bill for women that would only need to be taken once a month - ending the daily routine that many women forget to take.

Daily birth control pills are currently used by about 12% of women in the United States, but many women forget to take a dose, which can reduce the effectiveness.

Some studies estimate that as many as 9% of women taking oral contraception become pregnant each year.

MIT Assistant Professor Gio Traverso:

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GIO TRAVERSO, SAYING:

"A lot of folks fail to remember to take medication at the right time. And what we know is that if we can give the medication more infrequently, but ensuring that the patient receives the right level, the correct level of drug, it can really help that person really get the right amount of medication."

The pill, which so far has only been tested in pigs, uses a star-shaped drug delivery system that stays in the digestive tract for days or weeks after being swallowed.

It's funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, believed by its creators to be the first successful attempt at a once-a-month oral contraceptive.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR BOB LANGER, SAYING:

"The drug, the birth control drugs are in each of the six arms and and we've worked out ways over the years so that we can release them at a pretty steady rate for whatever length of time you want - in this case, say a month. And so the idea is we fold this up, we put it into the capsule, you swallow the capsule with this in it. When the capsule gets in the stomach, which is acid, the way this capsule works is it will just dissolve."

Other types of extended-release contraceptives are already available, all aiming to give women more control over family planning.

Beyond contraception, the researchers at MIT are hoping that tech could be transformative with helping to treat other medical issues without the need for daily medication or frequent doctor visits.