FDA Approves AbbVie and Neurocrine’s Endometriosis Drug

The FDA granted approval to AbbVie and Neurocrine Bioscience’s Orilissa (elagolix), the first oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist for treating moderate to severe pain in women caused by endometriosis.

The pain associated with the disorder is often managed by hormonal therapies, opioids or oral contraceptives, but few medications are specifically indicated to treat endometriosis.

Endometriosis, often characterized by chronic pelvic pain, is one of the most common female disorders in the U.S. and affects about one in ten women of reproductive age.