Current and emerging treatment options for endometriosis.

Current and emerging treatment options for endometriosis. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2018 Jul 05;:1-17 Authors: Ferrero S, Evangelisti G, Barra F Abstract INTRODUCTION: Pharmacotherapy has a pivotal role in the management of endometriosis with long-term treatments balancing clinical efficacy (control of pain symptoms and prevention of recurrence of the disease after surgery) with an acceptable safety profile. Treatment choice is based on several factors including age and patient preference, reproductive plans, intensity of pain, severity of disease and incidence of adverse effects. Areas covered: The aim of this review is to provide the reader with a complete overview of drugs that are currently available or are under investigation for the treatment of endometriosis highlighting on-going clinical trials. Expert opinion: Almost all of the available treatment options for endometriosis suppress ovarian function and are not curative. Combined oral contraceptives and progestins are commonly administered to these patients in order to ameliorate pain symptoms. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-agonists are prescribed when first-line therapies are ineffective, not tolerated or contraindicated. Aromatase inhibitors should be reserved only for women who are refractory to other treatments. Amongst the drugs under development, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists have shown the most promising results. Presently, are a number of potential thera...
Source: Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Pharmacother Source Type: research