The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the green light for Duavee, a drug made by Pfizer (PFE) and Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND), to hit the market. The treatment is designed to mitigate moderate-to-severe menopausal hot flashes in women who have not undergone a hysterectomy, Bloomberg notes.
Duavee, which will is expected to reach consumers in the first quarter of 2014, also protects bone density in post-menopausal women. Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and muscle spasms are among the side effects attributed to the drug.
A number of other treatments already exist to combat the effects of hot flashes, including Evista from Eli Lilly (LLY) and Brisdelle from Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical. Evista accounted for $1 billion in sales last year.
Shares of Pfizer dipped slightly in Friday morning trading, while Ligand Pharmaceutical rose modestly.
