An overview of early drug development for endometriosis

Umberto Leone Roberti Maggiore; Simone Ferrero

doi:10.1517/13543784.2016.1126579

An overview of early drug development for endometriosis

Umberto Leone Roberti Maggiore, Simone Ferrero

Expert opinion on investigational drugs · 2015 · vol. 25(2) , pp. 227–247 · doi:10.1517/13543784.2016.1126579 · PMID:26619754 · W2189352963

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This review surveys emerging laboratory and clinical therapies for endometriosis, focusing on gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists as a promising but not fully elucidated therapeutic option.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic disease of women of fertile age requiring chronic therapy. Although available drugs have good efficacy and safety profiles, some patients experience partial or no improvement of pain with conventional treatment and recurrence of symptoms after discontinuation of the therapies. For these reasons, many new compounds are currently under investigation for the treatment of endometriosis. AREAS COVERED: This review offers the reader a complete and updated overview on emerging therapies for the treatment of endometriosis. The authors describe, in detail, the laboratory and clinical studies on these therapies and highlight the potential advantages and limitations associated with the administration of these new agents. EXPERT OPINION: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists are the most intriguing emerging agents for the treatment of patients with endometriosis. It should be noted that while there are a number of drugs under investigation, a large majority of these new compounds have only been investigated in laboratory studies with more extensive research required to better elucidate their efficacy and safety profiles.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Drug Design Endometriosis Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Animals Drugs, Investigational Drugs, Investigational Drugs, Investigational Drugs, Investigational Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Humans

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References (100)

Cited by (8)

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