Selective Neurokinin 3 Receptor Antagonist May Relieve Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms

Although vasomotor symptoms (VMS) occur in as many as 80% of postmenopausal women, the only approved agents — estrogen and paroxetine — cannot or will not be used by many symptomatic women. Hot flashes may be caused by altered thermoregulatory mechanisms in hypothalamic areas innervated by neurons that express neurokinin 3 receptors. Accordingly, the efficacy of the selective neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist fezolinetant is under investigation. In a 12-week, phase 2, randomized, manufacturer-funded study, investigators compared the effects of different doses of fezolinetant taken once or twice daily versus placebo on frequency and severity of self-reported VMS in 352 women with natural or surgical menopause (age range, 40-65; 81% completed …