First UK trial of a non-hormonal drug for endometriosis starts recruiting in Autumn
The UK will soon run its first controlled trial of a non-hormonal drug for endometriosis. It may lead to ‘long overdue’ innovation in relieving often debilitating pain.
Doctors hope will pave the way for the first new class of drug for the condition in 40 years.
The trial will involve 100 women in Edinburgh and London and will assess whether the drug, dichloroacetate (DCA; not a new drug), helps relieve pain. If successful, it would be the first non-hormonal, non-surgical treatment for endometriosis, which affects roughly one in 10 women of reproductive age.
We know women with endometriosis desperately want more treatment options and better ways to manage the often-debilitating pain that it causes,” said Dr Lucy Whitaker
Lucy is a clinical lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh, who is leading the research.
Endometriosis affects 1.5 million women in the UK and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body. During a woman’s period, these cells bleed, causing inflammation, pain and the formation of scar tissue. A lack of awareness of the condition, compounded by the requirement for a diagnostic laparoscopy, means that women in the UK typically wait eight years for a diagnosis after first experiencing symptoms.
Current treatment options include conventional pain relief, hormonal contraceptives and surgery. However, hormone-based treatments – typically the pill or a contraceptive implant – have side-effects and are not suitable for everyone, including those trying to conceive. Surgery carries risks and is not always effective in the long term, with studies showing that about half of those who have surgery experience a return of symptoms within five years.
In this trial, which will start recruiting this autumn, half of the women will receive dichloroacetate and half will be given a placebo and they will take the tablets for 12 weeks. The participants will complete a series of questionnaires and give blood samples over the course of two-and-a-half years, to determine whether the treatment is effective for relieving pain and other symptoms.
