Non-hormonal treatment for hot flushes

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopause, such as hot flushes and/or night sweats, affect more than half of women aged 40 to 64 years globally. Furthermore, the prevalence of moderate to severe VMS in postmenopausal women in Europe has been reported at 40%. Such symptoms have a disruptive effect on women’s daily activities and overall quality of life. 

A new non-hormonal option to reduce moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause was recently launched in Ireland. Fezolinetant (Veoza) is a first-in-class selective neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist providing a non-hormonal option to reduce moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause.

Dr Deirdre Lundy, clinical lead in the Complex Menopause Service at the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin said: “I’m delighted to see the availability of fezolinetant in Ireland. This advancement in women’s health provides a novel, non-hormonal option for menopausal women to control their moderate to severe VMS – symptoms which can be so debilitating and which have a huge impact on these women’s daily lives.” 

The approval of fezolinetant is based on the results from the BRIGHT SKY programme, which included three phase III clinical trials that collectively enrolled over 3,000 individuals across Europe, the US and Canada

Fezolinetant was first approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in December 2023 for the treatment of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause. It is an oral, non-hormonal medicine that works by blocking neurokinin B (NKB) binding on the kisspeptin/neurokinin/dynorphin (KNDy), helping restore the balance in the brain’s temperature control centre (the hypothalamus) to reduce the number and intensity of hot flushes and night sweats.