Bayer presents data on menstrual bleeding drug Qlaira

Bayer has announced the results of a trial into its treatment Qlaira, which is designed to ease menstrual blood loss (MBL) in women suffering from heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding without organic pathology.

The oral contraceptive, which contains containing estradiol valerate/dienogest, was found to significantly reduce MBL in trial participants, as well as improving their iron metabolism parameters.

During the 90-day-treatment period of the placebo-controlled trial, which encompassed 231 women in Europe and Australia, MBL was reduced by 458 ml in the Qlaira group and by 93 ml in a placebo group.

Phil Smits, head of women’s healthcare at Bayer, commented: “The excellent data from our phase III study with Qlaira clearly underscores that our new oral contraceptive could offer a new treatment option for many women who suffer from this common disorder.”

In conjunction with Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Bayer also revealed last week that a clinical trial into a combination of Nexavar (sorafenib) and the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel in breast cancer patients improved the chance of progression-free survival.