Heavy menstrual bleeding and pain are common symptoms of uterine fibroids, but the New England Journal of Medicine has published two studies showing that a new treatment that can held reduce these effects is now available.

According to these two international studies, a treatment combining relugolix – an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone-receptor antagonist – with estradiol and norethindrone acetate, when administered once a day, can reduce pain and heavy bleeding in women with uterine fibroids.

Uterine fibroids are a benign tumour of the female genital apparatus. Also called myomas, fibromyomas or leiomyomas, they are considered to be the most common uterus tumour. The fibroid alters the uterus structure, with fibrous cells becoming more abundant than muscle cells. Symptoms range from heavy menstrual bleeding, abnormal menstrual bleeding, pressure in the lower abdomen and pain.

The participants of these two international studies (women suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids) were randomly assigned, on an equal basis, to receive – once a day – either placebo, relugolix combination therapy, or delayed relugolix combination therapy.

A total of 388 women in cohort L1 and 382 in cohort L2 were randomized; 73% of the participants in the relugolix combination therapy group in cohort L1 and 71% of those in cohort L2 reacted positively, showing significant improvements compared with the placebo groups in six of the seven key effects, including measured menstrual blood loss, pain, anaemia and uterine volume (but not fibroid volume).

The study shows that the relugolix combination therapy, administered once a day, can significantly reduce menstrual bleeding while also preserving bone mineral density in women suffering from uterine fibroids.