Episode 234 - Veoza & Lynkuet: The New Non-Hormonal Drugs for Hot Flushes After Cancer

“Night sweats. I cannot go on like this. What are people taking who can’t take HRT?”

That was a recent post in our community and the replies came flooding in.

Venlafaxine. Oxybutynin. Acupuncture. HRT. Lifestyle changes. So many people trying different things to manage debilitating hot flushes and night sweats after cancer.

But increasingly, two new names are appearing in these conversations: fezolinetant (Veoza) and elinzanetant (Lynkuet).

These newer non-hormonal medicines have been specifically developed to treat menopausal hot flushes and night sweats. But what are they? How do they work? And, crucially for our community, can you take them after cancer?

I’m joined once again by the wonderful Dr Zoe Schaedel, NHS GP, menopause specialist and sleep expert, to give us a practical roadmap.

We discuss:

How fezolinetant and elinzanetant work and why they're different from some of the older non-hormonal optionsWhat we currently know about their use following different cancersSide effects, contraindications and the concerns you've perhaps heard aboutHow to actually access themWhy access can vary across the NHSWhat your local formulary and its “traffic light” classification can tell youWhether your GP can prescribe or whether you may need a menopause specialist or oncologist

And for our listeners outside the UK, we also talk about some of the barriers to accessing these medicines elsewhere, including the frustrating issue of insurance coverage in the US.

We’ve been following this story for a while…

Way back in Episode 46, I spoke to Professor Waljit Dhillo, one of the researchers behind this new approach to treating hot flushes.

At the time, these medicines felt like an exciting glimpse into the future.