Hot flush drug could offer new hope for women during the menopause

April 5, 2017  16:34

A study suggests women plagued by frequent hot flushes during the menopause could cut the number by almost three-quarters thanks to a new drug compound.

Hot flushes are the most common symptom of the menopause with thee out of four women enduring them.

They're characterised by a sudden feeling of heat which seems to come from nowhere and spreads through the body. They can include sweating, palpitations, and a red flush, and vary in severity.

Some women only have occasional hot flushes which don't really bother them, while others report up to 20 a day, that are uncomfortable, disruptive and embarrassing.

For some, frequent severe hot flushes can lead to clothes and bed sheets drenched in sweat, as well as fitful sleep which impacts their work, social and home lives.

Experts say they're probably caused by hormone changes affecting the body's temperature control.

Now, in a trial carried out at Imperial College London, researchers showed that women who suffered seven or more hot flushes a day could reduce the number by as much as 73 per cent, as well as reducing their severity and impact.

The researchers hopes that the successful study, published in The Lancet and involving a drug which targets receptors in the brain, could provide hope for women who are affected by flushes and for whom hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is either unsuitable or not preferred by the patient due to safety concerns.

Professor Waljit Dhillo said: "If a woman is having more than seven flushes a day and the drug is getting rid of three-quarters of them, that's pretty life-changing.

"For day to day living and work, that's a significant impact on quality of life. If we can reduce flushing by 73 per cent it's a game-changer for those patients."

HRT can be an effective treatment for some women but may not be suitable for all.

The therapy, which involves taking regular oestrogen supplements to relieve symptoms, may increase the relative risk of breast cancer and can increase the risk of blood clots.

In the new study, 28 women with severe flushing were given a new drug compound called MLE4901, originally developed by AstraZeneca, to try to relieve their symptoms.

At the heart of the approach is blocking a chemical called neurokinin B (NKB).

Previous studies in animals revealed that increased levels of the chemical caused a flushing response in the tails of rats similar to a menopausal flush.

In human studies, analysis of brain tissue from post-menopausal women revealed elevated levels of NKB in their brains. The Imperial team has previously found that giving NKB to younger women in a temperature-controlled room caused flushing.

Bringing together all of these strands led the researchers to think that blocking the action of the chemical could potentially have the opposite effect and be a new effective treatment for menopausal flushing.

To test the idea, female volunteers with frequent flushing were administered MLE4901 which blocks the NK3 receptors of the brain, where NKB acts, to supress the action of the chemical.

In a trial, menopausal women aged between 40 and 62 - and who experienced seven or more hot flushes a day and had not had a period in at least 12 months - were recruited at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals.

The researchers found that the compound MLE4901 "significantly reduced" the average total number of flushes during the four-week treatment period, as well as their severity, compared to when the patients received the placebo for four weeks.

It also helped to reduce the impact of flushes on the women's lives, improving sleep.

Study first author Dr Julia Prague said: "Despite the fact that for millions of women their menopausal symptoms are intolerable so many are suffering in silence because it is a taboo subject and treatment options are limited.

"It was so exciting to see the lives of those who participated in the study become transformed when their flushes improved once taking the new drug.

"They could sleep through the night, and be less embarrassed in the daytime; they told me they felt 'human again.'"

Elaine Barker, 61, one of the study participants, said "I heard about this study and was interested in taking part.

"I felt that if the study worked it would be of use to menopausal women now, and for future generations.

The researchers found the compound MLE4901 'significantly reduced' hot flushes

"I was a sufferer still of daily and nightly hot flushes and anything that could improve the quality of my life would be worthwhile. When taking the tablets my flushes noticeably reduced and I woke less often at night and my quality of sleep improved."

The researchers said treatment with an NK3 receptor blocker could be ideal for women who can't takeHRT, due to increased risk of breast cancer or clots or those that prefer not to take it because of safety concerns.

Prof Dhillo added: "A lot of women are choosing not to take HRT because it is oestrogen-based.

"This new drug is a pill which blocks the NK3 receptor, so it won't have the side effects associated with oestrogen.

"This was a proof of concept study and proves that an NK3R blocker, MLE4901, significantly reduces menopausal flushing by 73 per cent during a four-week treatment period.

"These are exciting findings which could be practice-changing.

"The plan now is to find out if the NK3R blocker, MLE4901, can be as safe and effective over a long term period in a larger group of patients."

The findings were due to be presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Florida.

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