A team of British researchers is working hard on a testosterone patch to counteract the symptoms of menopause. If successful, it could be a world first for giving women easier access to a hormone already widely available For the men. There is a bitter (and legitimate) debate regarding its use.
Coming revolution
The patch was originally designed to increase the libido of women with symptoms of menopause. After menopause, in fact, the natural production of testosterone in women decreases dramatically. In addition to the decrease in libido, many minor annoyances come out of this circumstance: headaches, difficulty concentrating and tiredness. While there are numerous testosterone replacement treatments for men, the few options available to women are in the form of creams and gels, which are difficult to dose and often leave a residue on clothing and surfaces.
British society Medherant, founded by the chemist from the English University of Warwick, David Haddleton, is about to start clinical studies in the next few months to test the effect of the patch.
Menopause, adieu symptoms
Haddleton believes the patch's impact on women's wellbeing could be "enormous". Sure, dear, but hold back. You'll need to complete clinical trials first, and then convince regulators. There's no doubt about it: evidence suggests that testosterone could help alleviate many menopause-related symptoms. It is also true, however, that the available data is rather limited, and both the dosage and the correlations with other drugs must be well understood.
Meanwhile, far too many women receive “off-label” prescriptions of products approved for men, running the risk of using excessive doses due to the lack of a specific product for them.
However, Medherant said it has already raised $3,7 million to fund studies on the patch. Let's see if they will help us proceed more quickly towards a solution which, if it works, will really improve the quality of life of many women around the world.
