BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The Leverkusen-based pharmaceutical and agrochemical company Bayer plans to market the drug Elinzanetant for the treatment of hot flashes during menopause in the United States. A marketing authorization application for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the DAX-listed company announced on Thursday.

A commercial success could help Bayer to at least slightly reduce a prospectively increasing revenue gap due to expiring patents for the billion-euro drugs Xarelto, a blood thinner, and Eylea, an eye medication. Nevertheless, a competitor, the Japanese company Astellas Pharma, launched a drug comparable to Elinzanetant in the USA last year.

Bayer had published study data on elinzanetant in recent months. According to the data, the drug significantly reduces the frequency and severity of hot flushes associated with the menopause compared to a placebo. If Bayer receives approval, the drug would be an alternative for women who do not like hormone replacement therapy or are unable to use it for health reasons.

A study is currently ongoing in which the drug candidate is also being tested in a further study (Oasis 4) on breast cancer patients. These often suffer from menopausal symptoms, as hormone-lowering therapies lead to lower oestrogen levels./mis/zb