Are hot flashes getting you down? Well, we’ve got some exciting news that may just change your life! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Veozah, an oral medication designed to combat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms caused by menopause.
Veozah is the first of its kind, a neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist, a fancy way of saying that it blocks the activities of the NK3 receptor in the brain that regulates body temperature. So what does that mean for you? It means relief from those pesky hot flashes that can seriously impact your quality of life.
For some women, taking hormone therapies is not an option due to a history of vaginal bleeding, stroke, heart attack, blood clots, or liver disease. But Veozah is not a hormone, making it a safe alternative for these women.
According to Janet Maynard, M.D., M.H.S., director of the Office of Rare Diseases, Pediatrics, Urologic and Reproductive Medicine in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “Hot flashes as a result of menopause can be a serious physical burden on women and impact their quality of life. The introduction of a new molecule to treat moderate to severe menopausal hot flashes will provide an additional safe and effective treatment option for women.”
So how does one take Veozah? Patients should take one 45 milligram pill orally, once a day, with or without food, at the same time each day. If a dose is missed, patients should take it as soon as possible and return to their regular schedule the following day.
The effectiveness of Veozah to treat moderate to severe hot flashes was demonstrated in two phase 3 clinical trials. Each of the first 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind portions of the trials showed promising results. In both, after the first 12 weeks, the women on placebo were then re-randomized to Veozah for a 40-week extension study to evaluate safety. Each trial ran a total of 52 weeks. The average age of the trial participants was 54 years old.
It’s important to note that the prescribing information for Veozah includes a warning for elevated hepatic transaminase, or liver injury. Before using Veozah, patients should have blood work done to test for liver damage. While on Veozah, routine blood work should be performed every three months for the first nine months of using the medication. Patients experiencing symptoms related to liver damage—such as nausea, vomiting, or yellowing of the skin and eyes—should contact a physician. Veozah cannot be used with CYP1A2 inhibitors. Patients with known cirrhosis, severe renal damage, or end-stage renal disease should not take Veozah.
The most common side effects of Veozah include abdominal pain, diarrhea, insomnia, back pain, hot flush, and elevated hepatic transaminases. But don’t let that scare you! With Veozah, you can finally say goodbye to hot flashes and hello to a better quality of life.
So what are you waiting for? Talk to your doctor today about whether Veozah is right for you and say hello to a hot-flash-free future!
Sources
