New Delhi: There is relief on the cards for women combating menopause-related symptoms. Researchers in Britain are developing a testosterone hormone patch aimed at helping women. If successful, this would be a world-first breakthrough that could help women have access to a hormone which is widely available to men.
The patch is being developed to help boost the libido of women with symptoms of menopause, according to news reports.
Testosterone production in women drops drastically post-menopause. This causes issues such as loss of libido, impaired focus, tiredness and headaches. There are several testosterone replacement therapies available to men around the world. But a few that are available to women are in the form of creams and gels, which are tough to dose properly and can rub off on clothing, surfaces and materials, Wion reported.
The testosterone patches for women are being developed by the British company Medherant, founded by David Haddleton, a chemist at England’s University of Warwick. The company reportedly plans to start clinical trials after testing the patch’s effect on libido in the coming months, the report added.
If the trials are successful and the patch is approved by regulators, it could be the first and only testosterone replacement patch available to women worldwide. Haddleton said the impact of the patch on women’s well-being could be “huge,” adding that they could potentially “remove needless misery from women’s daily lives.” The company has raised $3.7 million (£3 million) to fund its trials testing the patch.
