New Menopause Medicines in Development
Menopause is associated with debilitating and often long-lasting vasomotor symptoms (e.g. hot flushes or flashes or night sweats), which impact around 80% of women. These symptoms pose a significant physical and psychosocial burden on women who are trying to manage their day-to-day life.
Guidelines currently recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a first-line treatment to manage menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms. Some women, however, are unable to take HRT due to their medical history and/or tolerability. Various other therapies, including paroxetine, gabapentin, and tibolone are sometimes used, but may have limited efficacy in treating vasomotor symptoms. This lack of available and effective therapies has led to the demand for new non-hormonal pharmacological medicines.
A new class of medicines
A new class of medicines, NK3 receptor antagonists, that act directly on the part of the brain responsible for vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and sweats) has been shown to be effective, and fezolinetant, the first licensed NK3 receptor antagonist is available privately in the UK; however, as of October 2024, it is yet not available on the NHS.
NK3R antagonists are emerging as a superior novel non-hormonal agents as they provide rapid and sustained relief of hot flushes and are well tolerated.
The latest data on these new medicines were discussed at the recent European Menopause Society Meeting in Florence in May 2023.
Click on this link to hear Dr Susan Reed talk about this new treatment
Why New Woman Health?
At NewWoman Health we have a commitment to educating, advising, treating, and supporting women approaching, during, and following menopause. Our wide range of medical and lifestyle interventions helps women to manage or minimise their menopause symptoms and improve their quality (and potential longevity) of life in an aspirational and uplifting way.
If you’re concerned about your menopause transition and/ or other menopause-related problems, including treatment options, we can support you with our personalised medical consultations with menopause specialists. Take the next step in ensuring your long-term health and quality of life by booking a consultation with us today.
