Estrogen Lotion May Smooth Out Hot Flashes
Menopausal women may soon be able to alleviate their hot flashes with a body lotion.
Research presented Friday in L.A. showed that an estrogen lotion, Estrasorb, reduced hot flashes in 85% of the women who used it. The product’s manufacturer, Novavax Inc., has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve the product for marketing, and it could become available this year.
Although the medication in Estrasorb, estradiol, can be found in other types of hormone replacement products, such as pills and skin patches, many women may prefer the lotion, said Dr. James Simon, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University School of Medicine. Simon presented the data on the lotion at the Society for Gynecologic Investigation meeting.
“Women find this very appealing,” he said. “It seems more natural than taking a pill. I think women over age 50 also like it because they have dry skin and are often already using a moisturizer.”
In the study, most women reported fewer hot flashes after four weeks of use, and almost all of the women experienced an effect by 10 weeks. The side effects reported with Estrasorb are similar to those seen in a small number of women taking any form of estradiol, such as breast tenderness and breakthrough bleeding. Estrogen use is also associated with an increased risk of gallstones, blood clots and uterine cancer when the estrogen is not combined with progesterone. Because the lotion does not contain progesterone, it might appeal to women who have had a hysterectomy or who do not want to take progesterone.
The lotion may be easier to use than traditional estrogen products, Simon says. Oral estrogen can cause stomach upset in some women, while the patch can cause skin irritation. Estrasorb is based on Nanosomes technology, in which tiny particles containing drug compounds are delivered steadily from skin reservoirs into the bloodstream.
“With Estrasorb you don’t get the rapid increases and decreases in estrogen that you do when it is delivered orally,” says Simon, who expects the FDA to issue explicit instructions on where the cream should be applied. The women in the study applied the lotion to their thighs. The product will likely come in measured packets to avoid overdose, says John Spears, chief executive of Novavax. He expects the product to be priced similarly to estrogen patches and to be covered by insurance. Earlier safety studies showed that the lotion, once it has dried on the skin, cannot rub off on another person.
