Elinzanetant works by blocking brain chemicals responsible for hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women.
An experimental once-daily pill significantly eased hot flashes experienced by women during menopause and improved their sleep, according to two new trials by drugmaker Bayer.
The drug, known as elinzanetant, works by blocking brain chemicals responsible for hot flashes and night sweats (what doctors call vasomotor symptoms) in women whose ovaries have reduced production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This marks a phase in women’s lives called menopause, which usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50.
Last year, the U.S. FDA approved a similar drug, fezolinetant. According to researchers, these medications are excellent options for women during a stage of their lives when their bodies are adjusting to a new hormonal normal. This transition brings with it a wide variety of symptoms, including mood swings, brain fog, changes in libido and insomnia.
According to experts, many menopausal women used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat symptoms, which can be bothersome but do not interfere with daily functioning. However, for many others, it can be debilitating. But doctors are now often reluctant to offer HRT because it could increase the risks of stroke, cancer and heart disease.
What happened in the clinical trials?
According to experts, the two main side effects observed in clinical trials were headache and fatigue, but the long-term effects are still unknown. Doctors say that the data available so far relates to 26 weeks of use and that long-term side effects are still unknown.
It is also unclear when the drug will be available on the market, but Bayer, the company that makes it, submitted an application to the FDA over the summer and expects to receive a response in September.
How does the hot flash pill work??
Researchers say elinzanetant is one of the first drugs to take advantage of a newly understood pathway in the brain that appears to control hot flashes.
Hot flashes, known as sudden sensations of heat in the upper body that are often most intense in the face, neck and chest, occur when estrogen levels drop during menopause. Doctors say nerves in the hypothalamus — a tiny, almond-sized region deep in the brain that, among other functions, helps regulate the body’s thermostat — become overactive, producing an overabundance of chemical signals called neurokinins. This new drug blocks the cell gates where certain neurokinins dock, reducing their ability to stimulate the brain to trigger hot flashes.
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