Menopause symptoms could be treated with testosterone patch in world-first

Researchers in the UK are developing the world’s only testosterone patch aimed at easing symptoms experienced as a result of the menopause.

Low levels of testosterone following the menopause can cause low libido, and are also linked to a loss of energy, headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

Although it is not approved in the UK for use by women experiencing menopause-related symptoms, clinicians are already able to prescribe testosterone gel to those experiencing low libido for whom hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has not been effective in relieving symptoms.

According to analysis of NHS data, prescriptions issued to women for testosterone gel have increased tenfold since November 2015, and also rose sharply after Davina McCall’s Channel 4 documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause aired in early 2021.

While oestrogen and progesterone HRT patches, which deliver the hormones via absorption through the skin, are in widespread use, there is currently no testosterone patch available for women experiencing adverse symptoms following the menopause.

A Coventry-based company called Medherant, founded by University of Warwick professor David Haddleton, is aiming to address this gap, and hopes to begin clinical trials in the autumn.

If the treatment is eventually given regulatory approval, it would be the only testosterone replacement patch available globally, and would be introduced first in the UK.

“This is a very exciting development for us – the potential of this technology to improve women’s lives is huge,” said Professor Haddleton. “The work we’re doing at Medherant and at Warwick isn’t just theoretical, but instead aimed at a problem women are facing which can drastically affect their everyday lives and jobs. This could deliver a product that is much needed and is just not available.

“With the technology already proven to work, we can use our new patch to remove needless misery from women’s daily lives. We hope this will transform life for women suffering from postmenopause issues, nationally and indeed globally.”

John Burt, the chief executive of Medherant, which raised almost £3m for the study, said: “Having the funding in place for the first clinical trial of our testosterone patch for postmenopausal women will enable Medherant to take a major step towards registration of the product, and being able to address this significant gap in the options available for women in this very important stage of their lives.”

The fact that the huge spike in the number of women being prescribed testosterone gel over recent years includes thousands of patients under the age of 49 has prompted some concern among experts, however, with Paula Briggs of the British Menopause Society warning that women are being misinformed about the gel’s potential benefits.

“Women are being led to believe that it’s the missing piece of the jigsaw, that it’s going to be the solution to their relationship problems, and I think we have to be much more scientific about how that information is provided for women,” Ms Briggs told The Pharmaceutical Journal.

Susan Davis, an adviser to the NHS menopause group steering committee, said that while the increasing number of prescriptions shows recognition of the role testosterone plays in treating menopause-related symptoms, it would be “concerning” if the gel was being prescribed to premenopausal women.

Additional reporting by PA