A new drug that has completed Phase I clinical trials and is entering Phase II is showing promise as a relief for painful menstrual cramps that affect millions of women worldwide. The drug, known as VA111913, works by targeting the cause of the cramps rather than just easing the pain.
Menstrual cramps, called dysmenorrhea, affects between 45 and 90 percent of women of child-bearing age and are caused when the smooth muscles of the uterus contract with increasing frequency. The drug targets and blocks a hormone called vasopressin, a powerful stimulatn of the uterus particularly at the onset of menstruation. Circulating levels of vasopressin are four times higher in women with dysmenorrhea than in asymptomatic women.
Menstrual cramps, called dysmenorrhea, affects between 45 and 90 percent of women of child-bearing age and are caused when the smooth muscles of the uterus contract with increasing frequency. The drug targets and blocks a hormone called vasopressin, a powerful stimulatn of the uterus particularly at the onset of menstruation. Circulating levels of vasopressin are four times higher in women with dysmenorrhea than in asymptomatic women.