Health Canada approves drug to treat hot flashes for some cancer patients

Health Canada has authorized Elinzanetant, marketed as Lynkuet, to alleviate moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats experienced by breast cancer patients. This approval follows an earlier authorization in July 2025 for general menopausal symptoms, with subsequent studies demonstrating its efficacy specifically for breast cancer survivors.

Elinzanetant, developed by Bayer, offers a non-hormonal approach to managing these symptoms. It functions by targeting specific neurons that become hyperactive when estrogen levels drop. This is particularly crucial for breast cancer patients, as approximately two-thirds of these cancers are hormone-receptor positive, necessitating treatments that block estrogen production. Such treatments often induce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

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The clinical trial with elinzanetant was the very first one that actually looked at breast cancer patients on anti-estrogen therapy.

Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, medical director of the cancer program at Sinai Health in Toronto, highlighted the limited options previously available for breast cancer patients suffering from hot flashes, as they cannot undergo traditional hormone replacement therapy. "The clinical trial with elinzanetant was the very first one that actually looked at breast cancer patients on anti-estrogen therapy," she stated. Dr. Brezden-Masley, who consults for Bayer, noted that breast cancer patients typically remain on anti-estrogen medication for five to ten years.

These hot flashes and night sweats can significantly disrupt daily functioning and sleep. The severity ranges from moderate, involving heat and sweating, to severe, causing patients to cease their activities. To prevent patients from discontinuing vital cancer medication due to these symptoms, oncologists have resorted to prescribing other drugs off-label, such as gabapentin and Effexor, to provide relief. "We’ve been kind of pulling old drugs that would have, you know, a little bit of a benefit for our patients and decrease their hot flashes," Dr. Brezden-Masley explained.

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We’ve been kind of pulling old drugs that would have, you know, a little bit of a benefit for our patients and decrease their hot flashes.