Endometriosis

You might think that everything has its fixed place in the human body. Yet there are situations where the natural order is disturbed. Take endometriosis, for example.

In this disease, tissue from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) moves through the body and settles in areas where it does not belong: for example on the ovaries, Fallopian tubes or other organs in the pelvic cavity. The big problem is that the displaced endometrial tissue induces an inflammatory reaction and, as a result, adhesions. This can cause severe abdominal and pelvic pain or cramping menstrual pain as well as pain during sexual intercourse. Endometriosis is also a common reason for infertility.

Many millions of women suffer from Endometriosis. It is estimated that 5-10% of all women of childbearing age are affected. Yet the disease goes undiagnosed in many women. Often the symptoms are initially interpreted as normal menstrual complaints. A definite diagnosis can only be made by performing a laparoscopy. If an endometriotic lesion is detected, it can be surgically removed. However, about half of the women experience symptoms again after surgery.

The causes of the disease have still not been fully explained. Most experts believe that a reflux of menstrual blood carries cells from the uterine lining via the Fallopian tubes into the abdominal cavity. Other researchers believe that the cells spread from the uterus via lymph and blood vessels.

While the current standard therapy in terms of efficacy (GnRH analogues) relieves the pain, it can also lead to severe side-effects, such as decreased bone mineral density and hot flushes. For these reasons, it is not suitable as a long-term therapy.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has successfully completed the drug approval procedure in Europe for a new treatment of endometriosis. This new drug is a once-daily oral tablet containing 2 mg of the progestin dienogest. It has been developed specifically for the treatment of endometriosis. A dedicated clinical study programme has proven that dienogest 2 mg relieves endometriosis pain with high efficacy and reduces lesions. It also showed good tolerability in clinical studies – making it suitable for the long-term treatment of endometriosis. Since May 2010 the first European countries are launching the product.

Advice for patients
Every body reacts differently to medicines. Therefore it is impossible to tell which medicine works best for you. Please consult your physician.