Health Canada approves drug to treat hot flashes for some cancer patients

Health Canada has granted approval for a new drug, Elinzanetant (also known as Lynkuet), to alleviate severe hot flashes and night sweats experienced by some breast cancer patients. This medication was initially authorized back in July 2025 for treating menopausal symptoms, but subsequent research revealed its effectiveness specifically in breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer cells often require estrogen for growth, leading to hormonal therapy that blocks estrogen production and consequently triggers hot flashes and night sweats. This issue is particularly challenging for breast cancer patients, as hormone replacement therapy is typically not an option for them.

Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, medical director at Sinai Health in Toronto, emphasizes that limited treatment options were available for breast cancer patients suffering from hot flashes and night sweats. The clinical trial for Elinzanetant was the first to specifically evaluate its efficacy in breast cancer patients undergoing anti-estrogen therapy.

Women typically need to adhere to anti-estrogen medications like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors for five to ten years following breast cancer diagnosis. These therapies can exacerbate hot flashes and night sweats, ultimately impacting patients' daily functioning and sleep quality.

The symptoms can be so debilitating that some patients choose to discontinue their cancer medication to alleviate the discomfort. This could potentially lead to the recurrence of breast cancer, highlighting the importance of effective symptom management.

Dr. Dave Cescon, a medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, agrees that menopausal symptoms significantly affect breast cancer patients and have historically been inadequately addressed. Health Canada's approval of Elinzanetant is expected to provide valuable relief for these patients.

Laurie Legere, a 47-year-old hospital administrator from Toronto who faced breast cancer diagnosis at 44, experienced disruptive hot flashes during chemotherapy and radiation treatment. These symptoms severely impacted her daily life and ability to heal. Despite being referred to a menopause clinic, she found that prescribed medications either were ineffective or caused intolerable side effects.

Legere is now looking forward to the potential relief offered by Elinzanetant, a treatment she has recently begun. The drug, manufactured by Bayer, functions as a non-hormonal neurokinin receptor antagonist, specifically targeting hyperactive neurons in response to estrogen deficiency, thereby reducing hot flashes and night sweats.

A Bayer spokesperson mentioned that Elinzanetant is not currently publicly funded in Canada and did not provide pricing information. The authorization of Elinzanetant for breast cancer patients was supported by Bayer's OASIS-4 study, which demonstrated significant improvements in symptom severity and sleep quality among participants. At the trial's conclusion, 91.6% of patients opted to continue using Elinzanetant for an additional two years.