Aerodiol: HRT nasal spray
3 August 2003
Aerodiol (oestradiol hemihydrate), the first nasally-administered hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to be available in Australia, will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from 1 August 2003.
Aerodiol has a restricted PBS listing the same as that of an HRT patch. It is to be used for the relief of post-menopausal symptoms in women who have demonstrated an intolerance to a trial of low-dose oral oestrogen therapy during or after menopause.
Research with Aerodiol has shown that fewer women experience HRT side-effects like breast tenderness taking the new product than they do with oestrogen tablets or patches.
Dr Rod Baber, President of the Australasian Menopause Society, says the reasons for this are not completely understood but are likely to be due to the way in which Aerodiol delivers oestrogen to the body.
‘While other therapies aim to maintain a constant level of oestrogen in the blood, each dose of Aerodiol produces a peak of oestrogen that rapidly falls away to nothing. This peak triggers symptom-relief mechanisms that are effective day and night without the constant hormone exposure. This may explain why Aerodiol produces less hormone-related side-effects,’ he said.
‘Most women will only require one spray [of Aerodiol] into each nostril once a day,’ added Dr Baber.
Dr Baber explained that Aerodiol is a good option for women who have trouble with patches not sticking properly or causing skin irritation, and for those who do not like using patches for cosmetic reasons. It will also be helpful for women seeking relief from menopausal symptoms who are not suited to oral therapy such as women who have high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, high triglyceride levels, or who are smokers. Unlike oral tablets, Aerodiol, like an HRT patch, is not absorbed by the liver.
‘Oral therapy also affects levels of the male hormone, testosterone, often reducing women’s sex drive. This doesn’t apply to oestrogen delivered by a patch or by using Aerodiol,’ Dr Baber said.
Last Reviewed: 03 August 2003
