A second at-home treatment for endometriosis, linzagolix, has been approved for use on the NHS in England.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approval of the once-a-day pill follows the approval of relugolix combination therapy in March.
Linzagolix will be available for patients whose previous medical or surgical treatments for endometriosis have been unsuccessful – estimated to benefit more than a thousand women each year.
In clinical trials, linzagolix was shown to reduce painful periods and non-menstrual pelvic pain, compared with placebo, NHS England (NHSE) said.
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It will be given alongside low-dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent menopause-like symptoms and bone loss.
The non-peptide gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist is also indicated for moderate to severe uterine fibroids under expert supervision.
Dr Sue Mann, NHSE national clinical director in women’s health, said the treatment option ‘will help women take control of their health and better manage the symptoms of this often painful and debilitating condition’, and give women ‘more choice in treatment they can take in the comfort of their own homes’.
Women’s health minister Baroness Merron said linzagolix ‘could be a game-changer for thousands of women battling endometriosis’.
The drug’s approval in England was welcomed by charity Endometriosis UK, which called on other UK nations to also approve the medication.
‘There are far too few options available due to the historic lack of research into endometriosis,’ the charity said in a statement on its website.
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And it called for ‘more investment in research to find better management and treatment options, the cause, and one day a cure’.
Gabriella Pearson, co-founder of the Menstrual Health Project, said that clinicians needed to ensure patients understood the full implications of the medication and the full range of treatment options available to them.
‘The impact of being in chemical induced menopause can be really severe,’ she said, stressing the need for clinicians to carefully manage add-back HRT administered alongside the drug.
‘I hear a lot of stories where people are feeling emotionally blackmailed into chemical menopause without really understanding the full effects of it and how it works; and if it’s not working, what can be put alongside it, or how it’s going to impact your body long term,’ she said.
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And she suggested that side effects and feedback on these treatments should be reviewed and collated to improve research and guidance around endometriosis.
This article was first published by our sister title The Pharmacist
