Menopause makes Super Bowl LVII!

The last thing I expected to see during the Super Bowl was an advertisement dealing with menopause.  Yet, as my husband and I settled in to watch the big game, there it was – popping into view on the TV – portraits of two mid-age women floating in a bright red background with the caption:  WHAT’s VMS?

Since most of the viewers tuned into the game (especially our male counterparts) likely had no idea what VMS stands for, the announcer quickly clarified that VMS is the acronym for Vasomotor Symptoms – the medical name for hot flashes.  There was no question that this ad was about menopause because the next statement to appear was:

“As the medical community learns more about VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause, so can you with these additional resources and by talking to your healthcare provider.”

My husband and I looked at each other, and in his typical supportive way, he touched my arm and said, “Wow, maybe the word is getting out that women need more menopause education, and all the work you are doing is paying off.”

I sighed.  While I agreed that this was encouraging, I knew that this wasn’t purely an altruistic attempt to help mid-life women; nor was it likely to inform them of the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy.  Even as a series of marketing hooks rolled on, namely . . .

What in the Blazes is VMS?

               What’s it Like Living with VMS?

                                 Want More Info on VMS?

 . . . . I knew this commercial undoubtedly was driven by an economic interest, one targeting the millions of women currently suffering the woes of hot flashes.  So, it wasn’t a surprise that at the very end of the advertisement, in small letters was the name, Astellas.

Case closed.  Astellas is a pharmaceutical company and the FDA recently approved a NDA (new drug application) for its new drug for hot flashes.  The company is concluding its phase three trials of the drug and is hopeful of receiving FDA approval to proceed with marketing it. Astella’s drug, and others like it, have been in the pipeline for a number of years and I have mentioned these in my book and earlier blogs. (See my blog entitled, What’s New and On the Horizon for Hot Flashes.)

These drugs are called neurokinin B antagonists and they are not related to estrogen or any other hormone.  They are novel compounds that target the chemicals in the brain involved in the temperature regulation control center.  Studies show that they are effective in decreasing hot flashes and appear to be safe, although some versions of this type of drug did cause some liver problems.

The Super Bowl commercial urged women to log onto their website for more information where a number of testimonials, educational vignettes, and other words of wisdom regarding how hot flashes affect women are provided.  Viewers were encouraged to sign up on their mailing list and follow their Facebook page.

I will be curious to see what sorts of information Astellas will be promoting.  I am happy that a lot of money will be directed to raising awareness about menopause and its impacts, but suspect that the information they disseminate will be biased in favor of recommending this drug above other current treatments.  It will be interesting to see if they address how their drug compares to estrogen or even allude to the fact that estrogen remains the most effective treatment for hot flashes.

I hope women will keep the following points in mind as they hear more about this product and other new hot flash drugs:

• Estrogen has been studied in millions of women and we have a very clear idea about the benefits and risks.  This new drug has been studied in only a few thousand women.
• The long-term effects of estrogen therapy are well known since estrogen has been used for up to 40 years continuous treatment in many cases.  The most recent “long-term” studies evaluating these new drugs have lasted but a few years.
• In addition to relieving hot flashes, estrogen helps prevent osteoporosis and vaginal symptoms, and many studies show it can decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes.  The neurokinin B drugs have not been shown to provide these benefits.

The bottom line is to be a little cautious.  This is a brand new type of drug and, like many other novel treatments, we may not fully realize its impacts for many years. Women should not only consider potential unknown future risks of taking a new type of drug but not lose sight of the fact they may be foregoing estrogen-related benefits by choosing a treatment that only addresses hot flashes.