( S ) Few studies of medical therapies for endometriosis report outcomes that are relevant to patients , and many women gain only limited or intermittent benefit from treatment
OBJECTIVE To assess patient response rates to medical therapies used to treat endometriosis-associated pain .
Dienogest is as effective as leuprolide acetate in treating the painful symptoms of endometriosis: a 24-week, randomized, multicentre, open-label trial.
BACKGROUND Dienogest is a selective progestin that has been investigated in a clinical trial programme for the treatment of endometriosis . The current non-inferiority trial compared the efficacy and safety of dienogest against leuprolide acetate ( LA ) for treating the pain associated with endometriosis . METHODS Patients with confirmed endometriosis were r and omized to treatment with dienogest ( 2 mg/day , orally ) or LA ( 3.75 mg , depot i.m . injection , every 4 weeks ) for 24 weeks . The primary efficacy variable was absolute change in pelvic pain from baseline to end of treatment , assessed by visual analogue scale ( VAS ) . Safety variables included adverse event profile , laboratory parameters , bone mineral density ( BMD ) , bone markers and bleeding patterns . RESULTS A total of 252 women were r and omized to treatment with dienogest ( n = 124 ) or LA ( n = 128 ) ; 87.9 and 93.8 % of the respective groups completed the trial . Absolute reductions in VAS score from baseline to Week 24 were 47.5 mm with dienogest and 46.0 mm with LA , demonstrating the equivalence of dienogest relative to LA .  Hypoestrogenic effects ( e.g. hot flushes ) were reported less frequently in the dienogest group . As expected , bleeding episodes were suppressed less with dienogest than with LA . Changes in mean lumbar BMD between screening and final visit were + 0.25 % with dienogest and -4.04 % with LA subgroups ( P = 0.0003 ) . Markers of bone resorption increased with LA but not dienogest . CONCLUSIONS Dienogest 2 mg/day orally demonstrated equivalent efficacy to depot LA at st and ard dose in relieving the pain associated with endometriosis , although offering advantages in safety and tolerability
( S ) Few studies of medical therapies for endometriosis report outcomes that are relevant to patients , and many women gain only limited or intermittent benefit from treatment
OBJECTIVE To assess patient response rates to medical therapies used to treat endometriosis-associated pain .