SAT-237 Combined Bioidentical Estradiol and Progesterone Capsules Improved Quality of Sleep in Postmenopausal Women with Vasomotor Symptoms

Abstract

Difficulty sleeping is a common complaint of postmenopausal women. In the REPLENISH trial, the oral 17β-estradiol/progesterone (E2/P4) softgel capsule (TX-001HR; 1 mg E2/100 mg P4 FDA approved as BIJUVATM; TherapeuticsMD, Boca Raton, FL), was shown to reduce moderate to severe hot flush frequency and severity and improve quality of life outcomes in menopausal women with a uterus, while protecting the endometrium. In this analysis, the effect of the E2/P4 capsules on “difficulty sleeping” in postmenopausal women experiencing hot flushes, was assessed by the menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) questionnaire and also analyzed by age. The phase 3 REPLENISH trial (NCT01942668), evaluated 4 daily doses of E2/P4 capsules in postmenopausal women (40-65 years, intact uterus) with vasomotor symptoms (VMS). Women with moderate to severe hot flushes (≥7/day or ≥50/week) were randomized to E2/P4 (mg/mg) 1/100, 0.5/100, 0.5/50, 0.25/50, or placebo (VMS substudy); women with fewer/less severe VMS were randomized to active E2/P4 doses only for endometrial safety. MENQOL was administered at baseline, week 12, and months 6 and 12. The “difficulty sleeping” item was rated using a 7-item Likert scale ranging from “Not at all bothered” (analysis score of 2) to “Extremely bothered” (analysis score of 8) if difficulty sleeping was experienced, if not experienced, the score for the analysis was set to 1. Changes from baseline to week 12, and months 6 and 12 in all women (MITT population) were analyzed by ANCOVA between each E2/P4 groups vs placebo and stratified by age (pre-specified FDA subgroup; <55 and 55+). Treatment groups in the MITT population (n=1833) were E2/P4 1/100 (n=416), 0.5/100 (n=422), 0.5/50 (n=421), 0.25/50 (n=423) or placebo (n=151). The MITT population had a mean age of 55 years; in the <55-year group (n=927) mean age was 51.2 years and in the ≥55-year group (n=906) mean age was 58.1 years. Mean baseline scores for the “difficulty sleeping” item ranged from 5.1 to 5.8 points. In the MITT population, difficulty sleeping significantly improved from baseline with the three highest E2/P4 doses (1/100, 0.5/100, 0.5/50) compared with placebo at all timepoints (all, P<0.05), except for 0.5/50 at month 6. In women <55 years, the sleep difficulty item significantly improved from baseline at all timepoints with two E2/P4 doses (1/100 and 0.5/50) vs placebo. In women 55+ years, significant improvements from baseline were observed at week 12 with three E2/P4 doses (1/100, 0.5/100, 0.5/50) vs placebo. In REPLENISH, women treated with E2/P4 capsules containing 1 or 0.5 mg E2 demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in the MENQOL difficulty sleeping assessment, especially those <55 years. These data warrant further evaluation.