Veoza

Veoza is a non-hormonal menopause treatment that’s available on private prescription in the UK. It contains the active ingredient, fezolinetant, known to reduce vasomotor symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats.

What is Veoza?

There are currently around 13 million peri or menopausal people in the UK, that’s around one-third of the female population. The average age that a woman reaches menopause is 51, with research showing that up to 80% of women experience vasomotor (VMS) symptoms during the transition period, which can last for 10 years.

Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for VMS symptoms, reducing the frequency and intensity by 90%, some women can’t or choose not to use HRT. So, what is the alternative?

Veoza is a non-hormonal menopause treatment that contains the active ingredient fezolinetant. It is a neurokinin 3 antagonist that works to block the receptors in the brain responsible for body temperature regulation.

Veoza tablets do not contain any man-made or natural hormones, so may be suitable for women who cannot take HRT or choose not to.

How does Veoza work?

Veoza works by blocking the binding of the protein made by the brain called neurokinin B (NKB) that’s responsible for regulating the body’s temperature control centre, to its receptors.

Normally, neurokinin B appears to work with oestrogen to regulate body temperature and remain in balance. However, during menopause, the expression of NKB increases, causing vasomotor symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats.

Veoza is a non-hormonal medicine. It belongs to a group of medicines called NK3 receptor agonists which stop neurokinin B from attaching to its receptors, and increasing body temperature. Overall, this reduces the frequency and intensity of vasomotor menopause symptoms.

How effective is Veoza?

A study published in the Lancet in 2023 investigated the efficacy and safety of fezolinetant for treating vasomotor symptoms of menopause involving 2205 women aged 40 to 65. The results found that compared to placebo, fezolinetant 30 mg and 45 mg significantly reduced the frequency and severity of vasomotor symptoms at week 4. There were improvements in symptoms after one week of treatment and these were maintained over the 52-week study.

How to take Veoza

Veoza should always be taken exactly as your clinician advised. If you are not sure, speak to your clinician for advice.

The recommended daily dose of Veoza is one 45 mg tablet per day. When taking Veoza tablets, you should:

• Take one tablet per day
• Take Veoza at the same time each day
• Swallow the tablet whole with fluid, preferably a glass of water
• Take the tablet with or without food

What happens if you miss a dose of Veoza?

If you have missed a Veoza dose and it is at least 12 hours before your next normal dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.

If it is less than 12 hours before your next scheduled dose, do not take the missed dose.

You must not take a double dose of Veoza to make up for a missed dose.

If you keep missing doses, speak to your clinician for advice.

Who can take Veoza

Veoza isn’t suitable for everyone. You should not take Veoza if:

• You are allergic to fezolinetant or any other ingredients found in the tablets
• You are pregnant or think you might be
• Take medicines called moderate or strong CYP1A2 inhibitors, such as fluvoxamine, enoxacin, mexiletine, ethinyl oestradiol
• Are under 18

Veoza warnings and contraindications

Before taking Veoza you should let our clinicians know if you:

• Have liver problems or liver disease
• Have kidney problems
• Have or have had breast cancer or another oestrogen-related cancer
• Already take oestrogen-containing hormone replacement therapy
• Have a history of seizures

Veoza side effects

Consult with your healthcare provider if you witness the following Veoza side effects after taking the medication:

• stomach (abdominal) pain 
• diarrhea difficulty 
• sleeping (insomnia) 
• back pain

How to buy Veoza

Veoza is only currently available in the UK on private prescription.

Can I buy Veozah online?

Yes, you can buy Veozah online in the UK from Prescription Doctor with a private prescription.

To order Veoza from Prescription Doctor you will need to complete a short online consultation which consists of filling out a medical questionnaire. The answers you provide in the questionnaire will help our clinicians decide if Veoza menopause treatment is suitable for you.

If Veoza is suitable for you, orders approved by 3 pm on a weekday will arrive via next-day delivery.

All our items are sent in discreet, opaque, and tamper-proof packaging to maintain your privacy.

If our clinicians believe Veoza isn’t suitable for you, then you will receive a full refund at no cost as part of the Prescription Doctor money-back guarantee.

Is Veoza available on the NHS?

No, the National Institute of Clinical and Healthcare Agency (NICE) has not yet approved Veoza to be prescribed by the NHS. Fezolinetant is currently being reviewed by NICE for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms caused by menopause, so it may be available on the NHS in the future.

Alternative menopause medication

Veoza specifically targets the part of the brain that regulates body temperature, and so works to reduce the severity and frequency of hot flushes and night sweats. However, if you experience more than just vasomotor symptoms you might consider hormone replacement therapy.

At Prescription Doctor, we offer several HRT options including:

• Patches
  • Evorel patches
  • Progynova
• Tablets/capsules
  • Kliofem
  • Kliovance
  • Livial (Tibolone)
  • Novofem
  • Trisequens
  • Utrogestan
  • Vagifem
• Gels
  • Oestrogel pump
  • Sandrena

If you are not sure which medication is best for you, you can chat with our Customer Service advisers or our medical team via ‘My Account’.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take Veozah during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
No, Veozah should not be taken if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Veozah tablets are only suitable for menopausal women.

How long does Veozah take to work?
Research has shown that Veozah can start working within one week, but it can take up to four weeks to achieve the full effects.

Is Veozah safe?
Veozah is safe and well-tolerated in clinical trials. Veoza has been approved to treat hot flushes and night sweats in menopausal women in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It has been authorized for use in the EU by the European Medicines Agency.

Is Veozah HRT?
Veozah doesn’t contain any hormones, synthetic or natural, so it is not a form of HRT, but it is an alternative to HRT.

Sources

• European Medicines Agency, (2023). Veoza.
• International Journal of Women’s Health, (2023). Vasomotor Symptoms During Menopause: A Practical Guide on Current Treatments and Future Perspectives.
• Lancet, (2023). Fezolinetant for treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause (SKYLIGHT1): A phase 3 randomised controlled study.
• Nature, (2015). Neurokinin B administration induces hot flushes in women.
• NHS England, (2022). Menopause in the workplace.
• NICE, (2023). Fezolinetant for treating vasomotor symptoms associated with the menopause [ID5071]
• NIH, (2018). Vasomotor symptoms across the menopause transition: Differences among women.
• The BMJ, (2023). Menopause: UK approves daily pill for hot flushes.
• UK Parliament, (2022). Menopause and the workplace.