Investigational drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, an update on recent developments

Fabio Barra; Carolina Scala; Valerio Mais; S. Guerriero; Stefano Guerriero; Simone Ferrero

doi:10.1080/13543784.2018.1471135

Investigational drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, an update on recent developments

Fabio Barra, Carolina Scala, Valerio Mais, S. Guerriero, Stefano Guerriero, Simone Ferrero

Expert opinion on investigational drugs · 2018 · vol. 27(5) , pp. 445–458 · doi:10.1080/13543784.2018.1471135 · PMID:29708812 · W2801485675

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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This review surveys investigational drugs and molecular targets for endometriosis, highlighting promising GnRH antagonists and noting efficacy but side effects of aromatase inhibitors.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent benign chronic disease that requires a chronic medical therapy. Although currently available drugs are efficacious in treating endometriosis-related pain, some women experience partial or no improvement. Moreover, the recurrence of symptoms is expected after discontinuation of the therapies. Currently, new drugs are under intense clinical investigation for the treatment of endometriosis. AREAS COVERED: This review aims to offer the reader a complete and updated overview on new investigational drugs and early molecular targets for the treatment of endometriosis. The authors describe the pre-clinical and clinical development of these agents. EXPERT OPINION: Among the drugs under investigation, late clinical trials on gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists (GnRH-ant) showed the most promising results for the treatment of endometriosis. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are efficacious in treating endometriosis related pain symptoms but they cause significant adverse effects that limit their long-term use. New targets have been identified to produce drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, but the majority of these new compounds have only been investigated in laboratory studies or early clinical trials. Thus, further clinical research is required in order to elucidate their efficacy and safety in human.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Drug Design Drugs, Investigational Endometriosis Animals Aromatase Inhibitors Aromatase Inhibitors Aromatase Inhibitors Aromatase Inhibitors Drugs, Investigational Drugs, Investigational Drugs, Investigational Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Hormone Antagonists Hormone Antagonists Hormone Antagonists Hormone Antagonists

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References (100)

Cited by (48)

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