A new non-hormonal drug from Bayer, elinzanetant, has shown significant success in reducing hot flashes and night sweats in breast cancer survivors undergoing hormone-suppressing therapy, according to a late-stage trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The study involved 474 breast cancer patients experiencing daily hot flashes due to endocrine therapy, which blocks estrogen and progesterone to prevent tumor growth. After three months, over 70% of patients taking elinzanetant reported at least a 50% reduction in moderate-to-severe hot flashes, compared to just 36% in the placebo group. The drug also improved sleep quality and overall menopausal well-being.
Endocrine therapy, while life-saving, often causes debilitating menopause-like symptoms, leading some women to discontinue treatment prematurely. Study leader Dr. Fatima Cardoso emphasized that managing these symptoms is crucial to prevent treatment abandonment and improve survival rates.
Elinzanetant belongs to a new class of drugs (neurokinin receptor antagonists) that target brain mechanisms triggering hot flashes. While Pfizer’s Vezoah (also in this class) is approved for menopause symptoms, Bayer’s drug could become the first specifically studied for breast cancer patients—pending FDA and EMA approval.
Up to 90% of women on endocrine therapy suffer from vasomotor symptoms, and half may skip doses due to discomfort. If approved, elinzanetant could help patients stay on therapy longer, improving outcomes. Bayer is now awaiting regulatory decisions.