On March 11, 2026, NICE issued Final Draft Guidance recommending Veoza (fezolinetant), manufactured by Astellas Pharma, as the first non-hormonal treatment available on the NHS for moderate to severe hot flushes and night sweats caused by menopause. The decision makes approximately 500,000 women in England eligible for a 45mg once-daily tablet that works by blocking the nerve pathways in the brain that trigger vasomotor symptoms — without the hormonal risks that make HRT unsuitable for many women.

Why It Matters

The Veoza approval is a watershed for menopause care — it gives clinicians the first non-hormonal pharmaceutical option for a condition that affects the majority of women and has a direct, well-documented impact on sexual health and intimacy. For the sex tech industry, the approval validates the growing menopause wellness category and creates a clinical backdrop against which complementary products (lubricants, arousal aids, pelvic health devices) can be positioned as part of an integrated treatment approach.

Veoza is specifically recommended for women who cannot take hormone replacement therapy due to medical contraindications, including a history of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or certain cardiovascular risk factors, as well as women who simply decline HRT. The drug is a neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor antagonist — a novel mechanism of action that targets the brain's thermoregulatory center directly rather than supplementing declining estrogen levels.

NICE's review found Veoza to be "cost effective, offering value for the taxpayer," according to Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE. The approval follows regulatory clearance in multiple markets and represents the culmination of clinical trials demonstrating significant reductions in the frequency and severity of hot flushes compared to placebo. Liver function monitoring is required during treatment.

The decision comes as the menopause wellness market continues its rapid expansion, with femtech companies like Joylux, Womaness, and Evernow building platforms around sexual health and quality-of-life concerns during perimenopause and menopause. An estimated 1 billion women globally will be in perimenopause or menopause by 2030.

Sources

Update — 2026-03-15

Initial entry — story first created.