According to major media reports, fezolinetant (Veozah) is a non-hormonal treatment that works by blocking nerve pathways in the brain responsible for hot flushes and night sweats. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the drug for NHS use, making it the first non-hormonal option for these symptoms. In a landmark trial, about 400 women aged 40 to 65 with moderate to severe hot flushes and night sweats who could not take HRT were given fezolinetant or a placebo daily for six months, major media reported.
Those taking fezolinetant experienced significant reductions in symptoms, with benefits felt after just one week, and it was well tolerated with few side-effects, according to The BMJ 2024. Waljit Dhillo, professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Hammersmith Hospital, led early trials into this class of drug. HRT, used by millions of women in the UK to ease hot flushes and night sweats, carries risks.
Treatments for breast cancer, including chemotherapy, surgery, as well as hormone therapies including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, can cause a rapid drop in levels of oestrogen, resulting in a sudden menopause, which is often more severe than natural menopause.
Traditional oestrogen-based therapies can increase the risk of blood clots and are not recommended for women at higher risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms, major media reported. HRT can also cause breast tenderness, headaches, bloating, and slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. Women who do not take HRT due to concerns about side-effects are eligible for fezolinetant, according to major media.
Some women with heart disease can also be prescribed the drug. However, breast cancer patients who go through medically induced menopause as a result of their treatment will not get fezolinetant on the NHS, major media reported. According to Daily Mail - Health, Dr Haitham Hamoda, consultant gynaecologist at King's College Hospital in London, described how breast cancer treatments can cause a rapid drop in oestrogen levels, resulting in a sudden menopause that is often more severe than natural menopause.
Fezolinetant is still being tested on breast cancer patients, and they must wait for study results. The specific results of those trials and when the drug might become available for this group remain unknown. Long-term side effects of fezolinetant are also not yet fully understood.