Brain-based treatment for menopausal hot flushes approved by FDA

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That transition can bring a complex constellation of symptoms of varying intensity and duration — including fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and hot flushes, among others. Hot flushes are the most common symptom, and can feel as though a wave of heat has suddenly hit the upper body, leaving women feeling hot, flushed, and sweaty. Some people also feel light-headed and experience heart palpitations., sex, exercise and socializing.

In the 1990s, neuropathologist Naomi Rance at the University of Arizona in Tucson found a group of brain cells that were larger in the brains of post-menopausal women than in those of pre-menopausal women. Rance went on to find that these cells — called KNDy neurons — respond to a molecule called neurokinin B, and that blocking the receptor that allows those neurons to perceive neurokinin B can block symptoms akin to hot flushes in rats.

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FDA approves first-of-its-kind drug to treat hot flashesWomen have suffered for centuries with hot flashes, one of the most common symptoms of menopause, without many treatment options. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind drug, fezolinetant, sold under the brand name Veozah, to treat moderate to severe hot flashes during menopause. The drug, a pill taken once a day, is hormone-free, which makes it promising for women who cannot take hormone treatment because of other underlying health concerns, such as a prior history of strokes, heart attacks or blood clots.
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