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Method to Identify Candidates for Hormone Replacement Therapy in Women Undergoing the Menopausal Transition

Detailed Technology Description

It is generally understood that symptoms associated with the menopausal transition (MT) in middle-age women is temporally related to declining ovarian function and the prevailing understanding is that deficits and poor health outcomes related to MT can be prevented and/or are generally resolved by hormone intervention (HRT). However, a clear or significant decline in circulating estrogen during this transition period has not been demonstrated to indicate that a deficiency of estradiol at the time of symptom onset is responsible. Still, supra-physiological doses of estrogens are given to women despite the fact there is a substantial risk for the induction of hyperplastic (cancer) diseases. Researchers at University of California at Davis have discovered a previously unrecognized phenomenon that occurs in all women during the MT and represents the major endocrine dynamic at this time. This phenomenon, which begins during the early MT, is not a reduction of estrogen production by the ovaries but an increase in the production adrenal steroids. This discovery paves the way for identifying women who will potentially suffer losses/symptoms and will be candidates for further interventional therapy. These research findings also provide the basis for understanding benefit from the administration of safer HRT alternatives to pure estrogenic therapy.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US8703751B2
Application Number: US13508008A
Inventor: Lasley, William L. | McConnell, Daniel S. | Gee, Nancy A. | Chen, Jiangang
Priority Date: 9 Nov 2009
Priority Number: US8703751B2
Application Date: 18 Jul 2012
Publication Date: 22 Apr 2014
IPC Current: A61K003156
US Class: 514170 | 514182
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California | The Regents of the University of Michigan,Ann Arbor
Title: Androstenediol as an indicator for assessing estrogenicity
Usefulness: Androstenediol as an indicator for assessing estrogenicity
Summary: The method is useful for determining the benefit of estrogenic hormone replacement therapy in female subject, and preventing, reducing and/or reversing cognitive deficits, where the female subject is perimenopausal, postmenopausal or asymptomatic (all claimed). Test details are described but no results given.
Novelty: Determining the benefit of estrogenic hormone replacement therapy in female subject, useful to prevent cognitive deficits, comprises determining ratio of total estrogen receptor ligand load to estratriene 3-beta,17-beta-diol in fluid sample

Industry

Disease Diagnostic/Treatment

Sub Category

Other Disease

Application No.

8703751

Others

Applications

• The invention provides a method to identify women who will benefit from hormone replacement therapy
• The invention will provide a method for titrating HRT in individual women.

Features/Benefits

• By the identification of women who will particularly benefit from HRT this will avoid otherwise unnecessary treatment of women who are experiencing MT associated syndromes but may not benefit from HRT and thereby avoid HRT exposure and the attendant risk of cancer
• Administration of estrogenic factors other than major estrogens reduces the risk potential associated with use of major estrogens
• Formulation of safer HRT drugs

Tech ID/UC Case

20614/2009-738-0

Related Cases

2009-738-0

*Abstract

The invention provides a method to identify women subjects with symptoms of menopausal transition who will benefit from hormone replacement therapy.

*IP Issue Date

Apr 22, 2014

*Principal Investigator

Name: Jiangang Chen

Department:

Name: Nancy Gee

Department:

Name: William Lasley

Department:

Name: Daniel McConnell

Department:

Country/Region

USA