SUMMARY
- Fewer symptoms in 80% of participants
- Action on neurons involved in hot flashes
- Menopause symptoms: treatment available within a year
Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, weight gain… The onset of menopause, with the cessation of ovarian production, is a period of life that is accompanied by symptoms that are sometimes difficult to live with.
For 87% of women, this delicate period is accompanied by at least one symptom, in addition to amenorrhea (cessation of periods), recalls Inserm.
When these transient climacteric disorders spoil life and lifestyle changes are not enough, women may be offered hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
But this solution, which combines an estrogen and a progestin, has aroused suspicion and has remained controversial since the publication of an American WHI (Women Health Study) study in 2002 which highlighted an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke, venous thrombosis).
Read also > Living well during menopause thanks to alternative medicines
Fewer symptoms in 80% of participants
Without other effective treatment options, women seeking to alleviate the side effects of menopause without resorting to hormones may feel helpless.
A new hormone-free pharmaceutical treatment could help them get out of this impasse. Developed by the Bayer laboratory, elinzanetant has given promising results in two phase 3 clinical trials conducted on 700 patients aged 40 to 50, revealed France Inter. 80% of participants observed a significant reduction in the frequency of their symptoms, starting with hot flashes.
Read also > Supportive care: how can I limit hot flashes related to my cancer treatment?
Action on neurons involved in hot flashes
The characteristic of this non-hormonal compound? The molecule acts on a group of neurons located in the hypothalamus of the brain and which intervene in the regulation of body temperature.
In postmenopausal women, In the absence of estrogen, these neurons become hyperactive. They will then disrupt the body heat regulation mechanisms, which causes unwanted vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, describes the Bayer laboratory in a press release.
Elinzanétament acts on these symptoms by modulating the activity of these neurons. “This new molecule will block the signaling pathway of these neurons,” gynecologist Florence Trémollières, director of the menopause center at Toulouse University Hospital, told France Inter. “By normalizing their activity, it will modify this thermoregulation zone” and thus combat hot flashes.
Menopause symptoms: treatment available within a year
Women hoping to experience menopause better and avoid its side effects will have to wait a little longer before they can gauge the effectiveness of this new treatment. The results of the clinical trials must be presented to the American and European authorities, before a possible marketing authorization within a year.
Read also > How did you experience your menopause?
