Northwestern University menopause specialist Dr. Lauren Streicher is available to discuss the recent approval of elinzanetant, a new non-hormonal drug for treating hot flashes in menopausal women. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the medication, which was announced during the annual Menopause Society Meeting attended by 2,000 menopause experts.
“An outsider would have thought we had all won a free trip to Paris instead of receiving news that a new non-hormonal drug to treat hot flashes was now available. Welcome to my world,” said Streicher, who serves as a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Streicher emphasized the seriousness of hot flashes, stating, “Hot flashes are not harmless. Persistent moderate to severe hot flashes are associated with insomnia, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, sexual dysfunction and bone loss.”
According to Streicher, while two other non-hormonal drugs have previously received FDA approval for treating menopausal hot flashes, elinzanetant stands out for its impact on sleep and quality-of-life measures. “Where elinzanetant comes out ahead is in sleep and quality-of-life parameters,” she said.
She explained the mechanism of action: “Elinzanetant is a non-hormonal drug that fools your malfunctioning internal thermostat into thinking that estrogen levels are high, regulating your internal temperature and decreasing hot flashes by an average of 67%. Elinzanetant also helps alleviate insomnia, improves quality of life and potentially enhances mood.”
For comparison, hormonal treatment with estrogen reduces hot flashes by about 75% on average. However, fewer than 5% of women use hormone therapy due to concerns about cancer risks or because they do not consult healthcare providers about their symptoms.
Streicher pointed out that elinzanetant is suitable for women experiencing moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms who either cannot or choose not to take estrogen-based therapies.
“Most women think hot flashes are short-lived, and they are not aware that hot flashes are associated with long-term medical problems,” Streicher said. “They also think the estrogen will cause breast or other cancers. The main reason they do not take estrogen is that they do not see a doctor for their menopause symptoms, and if they do, most doctors are not comfortable prescribing estrogen.”
Dr. Streicher is available for media interviews regarding this new development.