MEGESTROL 40 MG
MEGESTROL ACETATE : 40 MG · DIN 02195917 · AA PHARMA INC
Health Canada status: MARKETED
What is MEGESTROL?
MEGESTROL 40 MG contains MEGESTROL ACETATE : 40 MG. It is listed in the Health Canada Drug Product Database under DIN 02195917, held by AA PHARMA INC, supplied as TABLET for ORAL administration. Health Canada currently lists it as marketed, status dated 23-Sep-2021. Nexara Health is a licensed Canadian wholesale distributor (DEL 3-002896-A) and can source this product for hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. Availability and lead time are confirmed per order.
What is MEGESTROL used for?
MEGESTROL (megestrol acetate) is indicated for adjunctive or palliative treatment of recurrent, inoperable or metastatic carcinoma of the breast and endometrium and for palliative treatment of hormone responsive advanced (Stage D2) carcinoma of the prostate. MEGESTROL should not be used in lieu of currently accepted procedures such as surgery and radiation. Objective or subjective responses or arrest of tumour growth may occur for one to several months while on therapy. MEGESTROL is also indicated for the treatment of anorexia, cachexia or weightloss secondary to metastatic cancer.
Authorized indication as written in the Health Canada product monograph. For healthcare professionals and licensed purchasers; this is not medical advice.
What else is MEGESTROL called?
Also recorded in Canada as: megestrol acetate 125 MG/ML Oral Suspension (US), megestrol acetate 20 MG Oral Tablet (US), megestrol acetate 40 MG Oral Tablet (US), megestrol acetate 40 MG/ML Oral Suspension (US), megestrol acetate 160 MG Oral Tablet (US), MEGESTROL ACETATE (US), Megace (US), Megace ES (US), Megace (UK), Megace (EU), Megeest (IN), Megestrol Acetate (GLOBAL), Megestrol Acetate (UK), Megace (GLOBAL).
The same molecule, MEGESTROL, is registered under other names elsewhere. Buyers and prescribers searching from outside Canada — or working from a foreign prescription or tender document — often know it by one of these:
| Name | Script | Registered in |
|---|---|---|
| MEGACE BELSŐLEGES SZUSZPENZIÓ | Latin | Hungary |
Names are taken from national medicine registers and published price lists. A product registered abroad is not authorized for sale in Canada unless it holds its own DIN; import is possible only through the routes Health Canada permits.
Product details and regulatory record
| DIN | 02195917 |
|---|---|
| Brand name | MEGESTROL |
| Generic / active ingredient | MEGESTROL ACETATE : 40 MG |
| Manufacturer | AA PHARMA INC |
| Strength | 40 MG |
| Dosage form | TABLET |
| Route of administration | ORAL |
| Schedule | Prescription |
| ATC code | L02AB01 MEGESTROL |
| AHFS class | 10:00.00 |
| Biosimilar | No |
| Health Canada status | MARKETED |
| Status date | 23-Sep-2021 |
| Original market date | 1995-12-31 00:00:00 |
How is this product identified?
Purchase orders, customs paperwork and tender documents each ask for a different identifier, and a DIN written without its leading zeros is the single most common reason an order line fails to match. Every form Nexara accepts for this product is listed here.
| DIN (8-digit, as used in Nexara ordering) | 02195917 |
|---|---|
| DIN (unpadded, as printed on some documents) | 2195917 |
| Brand name | MEGESTROL |
| Active ingredient / INN | MEGESTROL ACETATE : 40 MG |
| ATC code | L02AB01 |
| ATC anatomical main group | L — Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents |
| ATC therapeutic subgroup | L02 |
| AHFS class | 10:00.00 |
| Health Canada schedule | Prescription |
| Biosimilar biologic | No |
| Market authorization holder | AA PHARMA INC |
How is it administered?
For the following indications, at least two months of continuous treatment with MEGESTROL (megestrol acetate) is recommended. For palliative or adjunctive treatment of breast carcinoma: 160 mg or 125 mg/m² daily (40 mg q.i.d. or 160 mg q.d.). For endometrial carcinoma: 80 - 320 mg or 62.5 - 250 mg/m² daily in divided doses (40 - 80 mg one to four times daily or one to two 160 mg tablets daily). For palliative treatment of hormone responsive advanced (Stage D₂) carcinoma of the prostate: 120 mg (93.8 mg/m²) as a single daily dose in combination with diethylstilbestrol tablet, 0.1 mg. For anorexia, cachexia, or significant weight loss in patients with cancer: usual adult dose: 400 to 800 mg as a single daily dose.
Included because it drives pack selection and wastage. Consult the monograph.
How is it stored and handled?
Store MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) at room temperature (15-30°C) in well-closed containers.
How is it supplied?
MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) 40 mg: each light blue, round, flat-faced, bevelled-edged, scored tablet, engraved “40” on one side, contains 40 mg megestrol acetate. Available in bottles of 100 and 250 tablets. MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) 160 mg: each white, oval, biconvex, scored tablet engraved "160" on one side, contains 160 mg megestrol acetate. Available in bottles of 100 and 250 tablets.
Which pack is which?
| Strength on the label | 40 MG |
|---|---|
| Dosage form | TABLET |
| Route | ORAL |
| Packaging as described in the monograph | MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) 40 mg: each light blue, round, flat-faced, bevelled-edged, scored tablet, engraved “40” on one side, contains 40 mg megestrol acetate. Available in bottles of 100 and 250 tablets. MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) 160 mg: each white, oval, biconvex, scored tablet engraved "160" on one side, contains 160 mg megestrol acetate. Available in bottles of 100 and 250 tablets. |
| Storage | Store MEGESTROL (Megestrol Acetate Tablets USP) at room temperature (15-30°C) in well-closed containers. |
One DIN can cover more than one pack size, and the pack — not the DIN — is what gets priced, shipped and invoiced. Before an order line is unambiguous Nexara needs the strength, the pack size and the presentation, because this listing covers more than one of them.
Contraindications
MEGESTROL (megestrol acetate) is contraindicated in those people who are sensitive to megestrol acetate or any ingredients in the tablets. MEGESTROL should not be used as a diagnostic test for pregnancy.
Warnings and precautions
The use of progestational agents during the first four months of pregnancy is not recommended. Progestational agents have been used beginning within the first trimester of pregnancy in an attempt to prevent habitual abortion or treat threatened abortion. There is no adequate evidence that such use is effective and there is evidence of potential harm to the fetus when such drugs are given during the first four months of pregnancy. Use of progestational agents, with their uterine- relaxant properties, in patients with fertilized defective ova may cause a delay in spontaneous abortion. Several reports suggest an association between intrauterine exposure to progestational drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy and genital abnormalities in male and female fetuses. The risk of hypospadias, 5 to 8 per 1000 male births in the general population, may be approximately doubled with exposure to these drugs. There are insufficient data to quantify the risk to exposed female fetuses, however some of these drugs induce mild virilization of the external genitalia of the female fetus. If the patient is exposed to MEGESTROL (megestrol acetate) during the first four months of pregnancy or if she becomes pregnant while taking this drug, she should be apprised of the potential risks to the fetus. Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant.
Is MEGESTROL in shortage in Canada?
A Canadian shortage report is on file for a product containing this molecule: Active — reported by AA PHARMA INC, last seen 04 Sep 2026. A shortage on one presentation does not always affect every DIN of the molecule — the alternatives below list what else is marketed in Canada. Nexara can confirm current availability and identify substitutions or import options where permitted.
What can be used instead?
Other Canadian products sharing ATC code L02AB01 MEGESTROL. 2 of 13 DINs in this group are currently marketed — marketed products are listed first, because that is what can actually be bought. These tables describe supply, not clinical equivalence: substitution rests with the prescriber or pharmacist, and interchangeability is determined provincially.
| Product | Strength | Form | Manufacturer | Health Canada status | DIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEGESTROL | 160 MG | TABLET | AA PHARMA INC | MARKETED | DIN 02195925 |
| APO-MEGESTROL | 160 MG | TABLET | APOTEX INC | APPROVED | DIN 02405512 |
| APO-MEGESTROL | 40 MG | TABLET | APOTEX INC | APPROVED | DIN 02405504 |
| LINMEGESTROL - TAB 160MG | 160 MG | TABLET | LINSON PHARMA CO. | CANCELLED POST MARKET | DIN 02176106 |
| LINMEGESTROL - TAB 40MG | 40 MG | TABLET | LINSON PHARMA CO. | CANCELLED POST MARKET | DIN 02176092 |
| MEGACE | 160 MG | TABLET | BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CANADA | CANCELLED POST MARKET | DIN 00731323 |
| MEGACE | 40 MG | TABLET | BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CANADA | CANCELLED POST MARKET | DIN 00386391 |
| MEGACE OS | 40 MG | SUSPENSION | BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CANADA | CANCELLED POST MARKET | DIN 02168979 |
| MEGESTROL | 160 MG | TABLET | APOTEX INC | APPROVED | DIN 02185423 |
| MEGESTROL | 40 MG | TABLET | APOTEX INC | APPROVED | DIN 02185415 |
Who else supplies MEGESTROL worldwide?
Nexara tracks national medicine registries and published price lists across multiple markets. MEGESTROL appears in 13 registered pack listings across 7 markets, published on 5 different national price bases. Where a Canadian route is closed, that is where an alternative route of supply starts — subject to the import rules in both countries.
Registered listings are not stock. Ask us to confirm what can actually be sourced for your order.
How much does MEGESTROL cost around the world?
MEGESTROL is listed on 5 national price registers Nexara tracks, across 18 pack listings published on 4 different price bases. What each country publishes is set out below.
| Market | What that country publishes | Brands listed | Pack listings | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | acquisition | 3 | 8 | 03 Sep 2026 |
| Hungary | producer price (ex-factory) | 6 | 6 | 03 Sep 2026 |
| Romania | max producer price | 2 | 2 | 03 Sep 2026 |
| Greece | producer price (ex-factory) | 1 | 1 | 03 Sep 2026 |
| Slovakia | categorised final price | 1 | 1 | 02 Sep 2026 |
Why there are no figures here. These bases are not comparable. A Brazilian ex-factory ceiling, a Belgian pharmacy public price and a Japanese reimbursement rate answer three different questions, and none of them is what a product lands in Canada for. Putting them side by side would mislead in both directions, so Nexara publishes where a molecule is listed and on what basis, and quotes the delivered Canadian price per order.
How can I get it?
Nexara Health supplies this product to licensed Canadian buyers — pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, licensed distributors, and clinical trial sponsors or their CROs. We confirm stock, pack size, expiry and pricing at the time of quotation. If the product is on backorder or in shortage, we identify equivalent alternatives and import options where permitted.
Ordering questions
Who can buy this from Nexara?
Licensed entities only. Nexara holds Health Canada establishment licence DEL 3-002896-A and ships only to a licensed address.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, set per product line and per pack multiple rather than on the order total, so you are never asked to buy a part-pack. The minimum for this line is confirmed with your quote.
What is the lead time?
Confirmed per order at quotation, and it depends on current stock position and whether the product is in shortage.
Can Nexara supply this for a clinical trial?
Yes — comparator and background-therapy supply, including sourcing from other markets where a Canadian pack will not satisfy the protocol. Clinical trial supply.