PhytoSERM for Menopausal Hot Flashes and Sustained Brain Health

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Women are at greater life-time risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). One potential factor contributing to greater life-time risk of AD is the midlife menopausal endocrine aging transition when multiple AD risk conditions can emerge and which are consistent with prodromal / preclinical features of the disease. While estrogen or hormone therapy administered when menopausal women are symptomatic could reduce risk of AD, the fear of breast cancer leads many women to forego this approach. An innovative alternative to estrogen therapy is to target estrogen action in brain while avoiding estrogen-associated proliferation in breast tissue. To achieve that goal, we propose Phase 2 clinical development of “PhytoSERM”, a selective estrogen receptor beta (ERß) modulator that promotes estrogenic action through ERß in brain while inhibitory in reproductive tissue. PhytoSERM is a rationally designed formulation of 3 phytoestrogens (each are Generally Recognized as Safe by the FDA). Our earlier NIA supported PhytoSERM Phase 1b/2a clinical trial determined that PhytoSERM was safe and well-tolerated, exhibited predictive pharmacokinetics in peri- and postmenopausal women and identified responder phenotype (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01723917). Proposed herein is a Phase 2, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with an open-label extension to determine efficacy of PhytoSERM in symptomatic peri- and post-menopausal women. Primary objectives are to determine the efficacy of PhytoSERM to alleviate menopausal symptoms, mainly hot flashes. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the effect of PhytoSERM on: 1) cognitive function, 2) sleep disturbances, and 3) non-neurologic menopausal symptoms, including bone mineral density and body composition. Tertiary objectives are to determine impact of PhytoSERM on blood-based AD biomarkers. This Phase 2 PhytoSERM clinical trial addresses multiple strategic directions of the National Institutes on Aging’s 2020-2025: Aging Well in the 21st Century ref Specifically, Goal C-3 to: “Develop effective interventions to maintain health, well-being, and function and prevent or reduce the burden of age-related diseases” and “Conduct clinical studies / translation of new interventions to the clinical setting.” Goal D-4: Translate basic discovery into effective treatment and/or prevention strategies for AD/ADRD and” Goal F-4: Support research on women’s health.” PhytoSERM clinical trial also contributes to achieving the National Alzheimer’s Disease Project Act (NAPA) to effectively prevent and treat AD by 2025 Goal 1B. PhytoSERM addresses a critical unmet need in women’s health to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s in later life.