Menopause drug that ‘switches off’ hot flushes in just days could be available by the end of the year after it was approved in the US in lifeline for hundreds of thousands of women who cannot take hormone replacement therapy
- The first non-hormonal menopause drug, called fezolinetant, works on the brain
- Women reported reduction in severity of hot flushes and better quality of sleep
A menopause drug that ‘switches off’ hot flushes in just days could be available by the end of the year.
The ‘game-changing’ drug, called fezolinetant, works directly on the brain and could be a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of women who cannot take hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Earlier this month the US approved fezolinetant, which is the first non-hormonal menopause drug.
Its makers describe it as a therapy ‘based on our understanding of the biology behind hot flashes’.
The drug works by blocking a brain protein called neurokinin 3, that plays a role in regulating body temperature in menopausal women.
A menopause drug that ‘switches off’ hot flushes in just days could be available by the end of the year (file image)
The ‘game-changing’ drug, called fezolinetant, could be a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of women who cannot take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (file image)
A large trial published this year showed that 12 weeks of taking the pill once a day reduced the frequency of hot flushes by about 60 per cent in women with moderate or severe symptoms, compared with a 45 per cent drop in those on a placebo.
Women also reported a reduction in the severity of hot flushes and better quality of sleep.
‘This is going to be a completely blockbuster drug,’ Professor Waljit Dhillo, an endocrinologist at Imperial College London, said.
‘It’s like a switch. Within a day or two the flushes go away – it’s unbelievable how well these drugs work.
‘It’s going to be completely game-changing for a lot of women.’
Fezolinetant, made by Japanese firm Astellas Pharma, is now being assessed by the European Medicines Agency.
A decision is expected this year, with the UK following a few months later.
The drug does not affect oestrogen levels – which decline steeply during the menopause – and so will not tackle symptoms of fatigue and mood swings as HRT does.
But HRT is not suitable for everyone, including those with a history of breast or ovarian cancer.
‘If you can’t take HRT there isn’t much in the way of really effective options,’ said Professor Annice Mukherjee, a consultant endocrinologist at the University of Coventry. ‘Women need options.’