Elinzanetant Reduces Hot Flashes from Breast Cancer Hormone Therapy
- A non-hormonal oral treatment called elinzanetant successfully reduces both the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats in breast cancer patients undergoing anti-hormone therapy, according to...
- The Oasis-4 trial evaluated 474 women aged 18 to 70 who experienced at least 35 moderate-to-severe hot flashes per week.
- The medication functions by blocking specific receptors in the brain that regulate body temperature and sleep cycles.
A non-hormonal oral treatment called elinzanetant successfully reduces both the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats in breast cancer patients undergoing anti-hormone therapy, according to new research presented at the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Madrid. The post-hoc analysis of the Oasis-4 clinical trial demonstrates that the therapy works effectively regardless of how long a patient has been on endocrine treatment.
Trial Data Confirms Consistent Relief Across Treatment Timelines
The Oasis-4 trial evaluated 474 women aged 18 to 70 who experienced at least 35 moderate-to-severe hot flashes per week. Participants were split into two arms, with the first receiving elinzanetant for 52 weeks and the second receiving a placebo for 12 weeks before switching to elinzanetant for 40 weeks. The post-hoc analysis aimed to verify if the drug’s efficacy remained consistent regardless of the duration of prior endocrine therapy. The treatment’s benefits appeared regardless of how long the patient had been taking anti-cancer medication. The drug demonstrated measurable reductions in symptom frequency and intensity beginning as early as the first week of administration.
How Elinzanetant Targets Brain Receptors Without Hormones
The medication functions by blocking specific receptors in the brain that regulate body temperature and sleep cycles. Matteo Lambertini, associate professor at the University of Genova, director of the medical oncology department at the Ente Ospedaliero Ospedali Galliera in Genova, and study coordinator, explained the mechanism:
La terapia orale agisce bloccando l’attività di alcuni recettori, a livello del cervello, coinvolti nella regolazione della temperatura corporea e del sonno. Senza ricorrere all’utilizzo di ormoni può quindi aiutare l’organismo femminile a controllare le vampate di calore e le sudorazioni diurne e notturne.
Matteo Lambertini
Lambertini emphasized an ongoing medical need for managing these frequent, severe symptoms that mirror natural menopause.
Managing Hormone Receptors and Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Needs
More than 70 percent of all breast cancer cases express hormone receptors, driving approximately 37,000 new diagnoses annually in Italy alone, according to Nicla La Verde, a member of the national board of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM). Many patients who undergo surgery for the disease must take adjuvant endocrine therapy to prevent a recurrence. La Verde described the clinical challenge:
E’ una cura efficace ma che provoca spesso fastidiosi sintomi vasomotori. I più diffusi sono le vampate ovvero improvvise sensazioni di calore, anche intenso, che si manifestano principalmente su viso, collo e torace. Altri effetti collaterali frequenti sono i disturbi del sonno, la sudorazione durante il giorno o la notte, i dolori osteoarticolari.
Nicla La Verde
These side effects can severely disrupt work, rest, and everyday life for years.
Unresolved Questions on Long-Term Safety and Access
Investigators confirmed that elinzanetant was safe and did not interfere with other therapies taken by the patient. Lambertini and La Verde noted that while breast cancer survival rates continue to rise across Europe—particularly when detected early—reducing side effects and improving quality of life remain central focuses for ongoing clinical research.
