Positive results for Neurocrine endometriosis drug study

The nonpeptide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist NBI-56418 was assessed over 12 weeks in women with endometriosis, a condition which happens when tissue similar to the endometrial lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the pelvic cavity. During a woman’s monthly cycle, the tissue sheds and can cause pain and other problems.

Neurocrine said that patients taking the drug reported improvement in pain and was generally well-tolerated.

“Our GnRH antagonist demonstrated dose-related reductions of estradiol without evidence of increased risk of bone loss. The reductions in pain scores were reported within days of treatment initiation for some women and patients with initial improvement continued to benefit throughout the treatment period.

The extent of estradiol suppression and lack of undesirable metabolic consequences suggest that even higher doses may be acceptable with the potential for greater symptom reduction,” said Chris O’Brien, senior vice president of Clinical Development and chief medical officer for Neurocrine Biosciences.

The company plans more clinical studies into the drug.