Wyeth's Pristiq shows benefits in clinical trial

Wyeth says that the nonhormonal desvenlafaxine, or Pristiq, demonstrated significant efficacy against hot flashes and night sweats in a clinical trial--but noted that high blood pressure and other troubling side effects were also seen in the data. Wyeth shares tumbled nine percent last July when the feds announced that they couldn't approve Pristiq without another trial on the heart and liver risks patients might be exposed to.

"There are more than 10 million menopausal women who experience moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats. Only a small percentage of menopausal women use FDA-approved treatments, all of which are hormone-based," says Ginger Constantine, M.D., Vice President, Women's Health Care, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. "Wyeth is committed to continuing to develop desvenlafaxine as a potential non-hormonal treatment option for women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause."

- here's the release for more info

Read more on: Wyeth