New non-hormonal pill could help ease menopausal symptoms

Bayer has begun testing a brand new pill that could alleviate the symptoms women face during menopause.

The study found that a once-daily pill reduced the variety of hot flashes while also improving sleep in study participants. The drug, called elinzanetant, also works without the hormones typically utilized in reproductive medicine. Bayer has filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the drug to treat these symptoms, based on its press release.

“Half of the world’s population will experience menopause, and 27 million women in the U.S. are currently going through this transition. Despite the impact of menopausal symptoms on women’s health and quality of life, many do not seek treatment due to gaps in awareness, education, and limitations in available treatment options,” Christine Roth, a member of the Bayer Pharmaceutical Leadership Team, wrote Aug. 1.

She added: “The FDA application for elinzanetant is a significant milestone in our efforts to offer women a new, non-hormonal option. It further underscores our leadership in women’s health and our commitment to addressing the unmet medical needs of women around the world.”

According to WJCL, elinzanetant it decreases hot flashes and night sweats by blocking chemicals within the brain that cause them. The drug is specifically designed for people going through menopause. The biological change happens when an individual not gets their periods, often around age 40 or 50, resulting in a natural decline within the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

While other medications to alleviate menopausal symptoms have been introduced to the market, their availability stays limited as a consequence of insurance requirements. In addition, including them with hormone therapy can also be related to a better risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease.

Despite these issues, the struggles of menopause can often disrupt every day life. Now, a nonhormonal choice to treat these symptoms may even help survivors of hormone-sensitive cancers. One is already available on the market, however it has its drawbacks. An approved drug called Veozah stays expensive for each patients and insurers, at $550 per 30 days.

Both Veozah and Elinzanetant work by blocking neurokinins, chemical signals overproduced by nerves within the hypothalamus when estrogen levels drop. The drugs prevent the signals from docking with cells, thereby eliminating the brain’s ability to trigger hot flashes.

“These neurons are super interesting because they are also linked to mood, sleep and appetite. And we know that this is a big conglomerate of what happens to women in middle age,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health, told the news agency. “They have hot flashes, their mood is terrible, they do not sleep, they usually gain weight.”

However, because Veozah’s financial barriers prevent its expansion, the outcomes for elinzanetantan seem promising. After 26 weeks of the study, greater than 80% of participants reported a discount in hot flashes of at the least 50%. Bayer now awaits a review of its findings for the first-of-its-kind drug.