New non-hormonal treatment for hot flushes

Veoza | Hot flushes menopause drug approved for use in the UK

In our October 2017 blog post below, we discussed an exciting development that promised to be a ‘game-changer’ for women looking for options to avoid HRT whilst grappling with hot flushes during menopause. How satisfying and exciting is it to see this come to pass?

A unique non-hormonal treatment specifically targeting menopausal hot flushes and night sweats has received approval in the UK. Known as Veoza or fezolinetant, it operates on the brain's temperature-control centre to alleviate hot flushes with results achieved in one to two days, as opposed to the three months it can take for hormonal replacement therapy, (HRT) to kick in.

It’s widely reported that 80% of women experiencing menopause go through hot flushes. Not everyone chooses to or can take HRT, the only medical treatment currently recommended for menopausal symptoms. The addition of Veoza to management options will be a huge benefit to those who may be inclined to opt for medication.

Not available through the NHS yet, it is available via a private prescription, albeit potentially at a significant cost (exact prices yet to be confirmed). The crucial next phase involves a review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), slated for 2024. This assessment will be pivotal in deciding the drug's recommendation and its possible inclusion in NHS offerings.

If the treatment receives a positive recommendation, anticipate a surge in interest, possibly leading to increased demand and wait times at your GP's office, as women seek new solutions for this age-old condition. 

Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking menopause treatment as developments unfold.

December 2023

Jo discussing Veoza on Sky News, December 2023.

Game-changing non-hormonal hot flush medication

Exciting research is taking place at Imperial College London for the hot flushers amongst us. Promising findings from an early-stage study, published in The Lancet in April 2017, offered hope to women suffering hot flushes who’d like to ideally see the back of them, or at least, reduce the number of flushes to a handful a day.

This study found a reduction in the frequency and intensity of hot flushes in 73% of the women taking part. The report’s author, Dr Julia Prague, called this a ‘game-changer’ for women experiencing more than 7 hot flushes a day. This is a ‘game’ where we say anything that will improve your quality of life is much appreciated, thank you.

The research was based on the discovery that post-menopausal women had an increased level of the hormone, neurokinin (NKB). Scientists speculated, (or did something more scientific), that blocking this hormone might reduce the frequency of hot flushes. Using the compound, MLE4901, which targets receptors in the brain to block the effects of NKB, they concluded that it ‘significantly reduced the average total number of flushes during the four-week treatment period, as well as their severity’ and ‘helped to reduce the impact of flushes on the women’s lives, improving sleep’. We call that a win-win, having fewer debilitating flushes and sleeping better!

It could be really great news for women suffering oestrogen-dependent conditions who can’t take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). MLE4901 doesn’t have the side effects associated with HRT. It’s hoped that in future, it can be prescribed not only for women who can’t take HRT, but for those who take HRT yet still experience hot flushes, and also for those who prefer not to take HRT because of safety concerns but still want to see an end to their own private sauna hell of hot flushes.

Where can you get your hands on it? Well, unfortunately for the time being you can’t. Research continues into the next phase to see if this is a safe and effective treatment in the longer term and in a larger group of women. We think it’s amazing to know that there’s ongoing research into this mysterious and miserable consequence of menopause.

As the scientists behind the study said, ‘exciting findings’. Indeed! We’ll keep you posted.

Original post October 2017