The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended a second treatment for the illness that affects around 1.5 million women across the UK.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a new treatment option for symptoms of endometriosis that can be taken at home.
It recommends Linzagolix (also called Yselty and made by Theramex) with hormonal add-back therapy for adults of reproductive age who have already tried other medical or surgical treatments for their endometriosis.
“We’re pleased to recommend Linzagolix as a new treatment option for endometriosis. As a once-daily tablet taken at home, it offers a convenient way for people with endometriosis to manage their condition and helps to ease pressure on NHS services,” said NICE’s director of medicines evaluation Helen Knight.
In clinical trials, women taking Linzagolix with hormone therapy had significant reductions in both everyday pelvic pain and painful periods.
Second treatment
It is the second pharmaceutical treatment for endometriosis that NICE has recommended this year.
As Healthcare Today reported in March, the executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care recommended relugolix–estradiol–norethisterone, also known as relugolix combination therapy or Ryeqo which works by blocking specific hormones that contribute to endometriosis, while also providing necessary hormone replacement in a single daily tablet.
The drug approval has been welcomed by Endometriosis UK, the UK’s largest charity supporting those affected.
“There are far too few options available due to the historic lack of research into endometriosis, and we are pleased to see NICE approving this new medication for endometriosis,” it said in a statement.
Endometriosis affects around 1.5 million women across the UK. It happens when tissue similar to the womb lining grows in other places in the body. When this tissue breaks down as part of the normal menstrual cycle it becomes trapped in a person’s pelvis causing chronic pain and fatigue. These symptoms can make everyday activities difficult and greatly impact quality of life.
