Women’s health experts have issued a warning about the limitations of the first-of-its-kind endometriosis treatment pill, which was approved for NHS use this week.
The combination drug, relugolix–estradiol–norethisterone (also known as relugolix combination therapy or Ryeqo), is the first long-term daily pill licensed to treat endometriosis.
It marks a significant advancement over current treatments, offering a more convenient and potentially less arduous experience for patients. However, it will only help a relatively small number of women.
Roughly 1.5 million women in the UK have endometriosis. Yet the pill is expected to help only 1,000 of those sufferers each year as a last resort, after they’ve exhausted all other medical and surgical treatments.
Speaking to The Independent, Hannah Travis, Medical Negligence Solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: “This pill seems to have been launched like a miracle breakthrough.
“Don’t get me wrong, any innovation in medical research is a wonderful thing, but there are limitations to that.
“When you’re looking at 1.5 million women in the UK who suffer from endometriosis, helping 1000 is just the tip of the iceberg. So, it’s innovative – but why 1000 people? Why not 1.5million?” she asked.
“Given the amount of research that has gone into this pill, and the amount of money that research has cost, it seems a very small impact to only give [the medication] to such a small group when it could have been so much more,” Travis added.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere in the body, commonly in the pelvis, bladder, and bowel.
The condition can cause debilitating pain, heavy periods, exhaustion, and fertility problems, significantly impacting women’s personal and professional lives.
Currently in the UK, it takes an average of eight years and 10 months after first seeing a doctor about symptoms for someone to receive a proper endometriosis diagnosis.
“Women’s health is neglected,” Travis said. “Why should it take women and girls years of fighting for access to diagnosis and treatment while pain negatively impacts their day to day lives?
“You wouldn’t have the same acceptance if it was, say, a heart issue or a brain issue,” she continued. “With any other medical condition, there’d be absolute uproar.”
It comes after Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, admitted that the healthcare system “doesn’t always have the needs of women at its heart,” in January this year.
When asked about a report by the Women and Equalities Committee which highlighted that women are facing “medical misogyny” she agreed there is a “big cultural challenge” to face within the NHS.
Mandatory training to better female medical conditions was only introduced for doctors in England in 2022 as part of the government’s first Women’s Health Strategy for the country.
Travis claimed more education is desperately needed among primary care practitioners in order for the “red flags” of endometriosis to be identified and the condition diagnosed earlier.
“Women present [symptoms] constantly and they’re just dismissed as other period issues or hormone problems,” she said. “They’re told ‘It’s just something you put up with as a woman.’ That isn’t right.
“There’s no harm in sending someone for an early assessment,” the solicitor added. “It could prevent years of back and forth and actually save money in the long run.”
