FDA approves Lynkuet for menopause hot flashes relief

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved another once-a-day pill that works without hormones to treat moderate to severe hot flashes in menopausal women, drugmaker Bayer said Friday.

The drug, elinzanetant, is expected to be available in the United States beginning in November under the brand name Lynkuet, Bayer said .

It works by blocking the brain chemicals responsible for hot flashes and night sweats – what doctors call vasomotor symptoms – in menopausal women. It's estimated that more than 80% of women have hot flashes during menopause.

"This FDA approval represents a bold step forward – our first hormone-free treatment for alleviating vasomotor symptoms of menopause," Christine Roth, Bayer's executive vice president of global product strategy and commercialization, s