'Completely blockbuster drug': UK clears the way for drug that treats hot flushes in menopausal women

A drug that can potentially offer relief to hundreds of thousands of women battling hot flushes during menopause has been approved in the UK.

The drug named Veoza orfezolinetant has been approved by UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Previously, it was cleared for use in the United States by the US Foods and Drug Administration.

Hot flushes: A common problem

Hot flushes, as per The Guardian, effect, around 70 per cent of menopausal women around the world, negatively impacting theirdaily lives, disrupting activities like exercise, sleep, etc.

Currently, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment available for hot flushes. However, a number offactors, such as side effects, a history of breast or ovarian cancer, blood clots, or untreated high blood pressure, make it unsuitable for everyone. Furthermore, some women simply prefer non-hormonal options.

How Veoza works

Veoza, which is a non-hormonal menopause drug, directly targets the brain to prevent hot flushes by blocking a protein called neurokinin-3.Although it is not recommended for women over 65, the drug has the potential to provide relief for women for whom HRT is not suitable.

The cost of the treatment for the UK is yet to be decided. However,in the US, it costs$550 (£430) for a 30-day supply.

Veoza acts directly on the brain's temperature control pathway without replacing estrogen, offering a novel mechanism of action for treating moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause.

A large clinical trial of the medicine showed a 60 per cent reduction in the frequency of hot flushes after 12 weeks of use in women with moderate or severe symptoms. Experts have hailed Veoza as a "completely blockbuster drug".

Talking to The Guardian, Julian Beach, the interim executive director of healthcare quality and access at MHRA, said: "Hot flushes and night sweats caused by menopause are common, and can have a significant impact on a woman’s daily life. We are therefore pleased to have authorised Veoza (fezolinetant) for hot flushes and night sweats caused by menopause via our reliance procedure."

"No medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness, and we continue to keep the safety of all medicines under close review," emphasised Beach.

The drug, which is prescription only, will be available privately from January 5, said the companyAstellas., the company that made the drug. Astellas said that it is applying for access through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to make it available on the NHS.

(With inputs from agencies)