New menopause drug a ‘game changer’, says expert

Cillian Sherlock, PA

A newly-approved drug will be a “game changer” for menopausal women experiencing hot flushes, an expert has said.

Veoza, which is set to be fully available in Ireland in April, is a non-hormonal medication designed to stop hot flushes and night sweats.

Campaigners say the daily tablet offers women an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the dreaded menopause symptoms.

Loretta Dignam, the founder of Menopause Hub clinics across Ireland, said its approval is a “hugely positive development”.

“A UK study concluded that women experience a weekly total of 17 hot flushes and 11 night sweats – and this symptom alone can impact severely on sleep, mood, concentration, work and personal lives,” she said.

“I personally endured up to 39 hot flushes a day and then more at night with the duvet on and off over a three-year period, so I know first-hand how debilitating they can be, so this will be a game-changer.”

Ms Dignam said up to 80 per cent of some 652,000 Irish women suffer symptoms of menopause.

These are primarily hot flushes and night sweats which are triggered by low oestrogen levels, affecting the part of the brain that regulates body temperature.

She said Veoza offers another option to women who cannot take HRT for various medical reasons or for those whose bodies will not absorb the hormones.

The medication has been approved by the Health Products Regulatory Authority but is not covered under the drug payment scheme, so it will be available privately at a cost of up to €70 per month.

The Menopause Hub said clinical trials in Europe found that after one month of treatment, the number of moderate to severe daily hot flushes was cut by 53 per cent on average for participants.

The treatment is not yet approved for those with active breast cancer.