Menopause and the Drug Companies – NK3 receptor antagonists (Think Veozah)

I love sitting here at the computer doing menopause research. It leads to such fascinating things.

The first thing I googled today was: What menopause products are drug companies working on. 

I think we should talk about the results of that search. There is a lot to pay attention to. Grab a snack. 

The first thing that appeared in my search was this headline from PharmaVoice Published July 5, 2023: 

“Women’s healthcare investments are hot. So where are the new menopause drugs? NK3 receptor antagonists offer a new option, but experts say more are needed.” 

Here is the link: https://www.pharmavoice.com/news/menopause-treatment-Astellas-Bayer/684911/ 

Astrellas Pharma, in Japan, run by Japanese MEN, own Veozah, a subsidiary of some sort, of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFJ). Money guys selling us menopause drugs. 

And apparently, Bayer is coming up with another NK3 receptor antagonist, elinzanetant (a hot flash drug). Bayer. Remember they bought Monsanto. Monsanto is the pesticide company. Try not to forget who they really are. 

Ok...these drugs regulate your temperature. What if you are sick and you need to have a fever? I cannot find any research on this, as much as I am looking into it right now. It brought me to antipyretics which are NSAIDS which are not for menopausal hot flashes. 

Moving on. 

“The FDA’s May approval of Veozah was a boon to those looking for a new way to treat hot flashes, which affect up to 80% of menopausal people. By blocking neurokinin 3 (NK3), a brain receptor that helps regulate body temperature, the drug is particularly in-demand option for those who can’t or don’t want to use hormone replacement therapy.” 

It was only released in May of 2023. I tried googling when the clinical trials started, and it led me in ten thousand directions with no specific date. It does seem though, that it went through at least three years but seriously, is that really enough? 

The most prevalent adverse effects reported in the trials were abdominal pain, diarrhea, insomnia, back pain, hot flashes, and hepatic transaminase elevation. (Non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcohol-related liver disease). 

Well, that blows. Are these “adverse effects” worth you POTENTIALLY not having hot flashes? 

Regulatory approvals for VEOZAH 

Astellas Pharma submitted a new drug application (NDA) for fezolinetant to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2022. The NDA was accepted for further evaluation in August 2022. 

The FDA approved VEOZAH for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms or hot flashes caused by menopause in May 2023. 

The drug is under regulatory review in the European Union (EU), Switzerland and Australia. 

Part of the PharmaVoice article states: 

“Even with all of this, the menopause drug pipeline seems meager in the face of demand. Some six thousand people enter menopause every day in the U.S. experiencing a range of well-known symptoms that last, on average, for seven years. And although its effects can vary from bothersome to debilitating, menopause is left untreated in six in every 10 women, English said.” 

“Last year, PhRMA released a list of drugs in development for women’s health, which only included six drugs for menopause symptoms.  

By comparison, PhRMA listed 200 in the works for women’s cancers and 34 for dry eye disease.” 

Link here:  https://www.pharmavoice.com/news/menopause-treatment-Astellas-Bayer/684911/

According to The American Optometric Association: 

“More than 16 million Americans—including twice as many women than men—endure dry eye disease (DED), according to a recently released study.” (Aug 2017) 

YET 

In 1990 there were 467 MILLION postmenopausal women in the world, by 2030, menopausal women are projected to increase to 1.2 BILLION worldwide. 

That’s a lot to think about huh?