Veozah is a brand-name oral tablet that’s prescribed for treating certain symptoms of menopause. Veozah contains the active drug fezolinetant.
Veozah is FDA-approved to treat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes) in adults.
Drug details
You’ll find key information about Veozah below.
- Drug class: neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist
- Drug form: oral tablet
- Generic available? no
- Prescription required? yes
- Controlled substance? no
- Year of FDA approval: 2023
Veozah is available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic form.
A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs.
As with all medications, the cost of Veozah can vary. The actual price you’ll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use.
Drug coupons: You can visit Optum Perks for price estimates of Veozah. These estimates are based on the use of Optum Perks coupons. Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.
Financial and insurance assistance: If you need financial support to pay for Veozah, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available.
A program called Veozah Savings Program is available for Veozah. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for support, call 888-201-1435 or visit the program website.
To learn more about saving money on prescriptions, check out this article.
Generic version: Veozah is not available in a generic form. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.
To save money on your Veozah prescription, explore these Optum Perks coupons.
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Retail price refers to the manufacturer’s published list price and is up to date as of 3/2023. Retail and discounted prices are U.S.-only and can vary based on region and pharmacy. We cannot guarantee that the discounted price listed here will exactly match the price at your pharmacy. Please contact your pharmacy for the exact price.
Optum Perks and Healthline are subsidiaries of RVO Health.
Pricing source:Perks.optum.com
Veozah can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Veozah. These lists do not include all possible side effects.
For more information about the possible side effects of Veozah, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may be concerning or bothersome.
Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you would like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Veozah, you can do so through MedWatch.
Mild side effects
Below is a partial list of mild side effects of Veozah. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or view Veozah’s prescribing information.
Mild side effects of Veozah can include:
Most of these side effects may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. However, if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
* For more information about allergic reaction and Veozah, see “Allergic reaction” below.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Veozah aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.
Serious side effects and their symptoms can include:
- Increased levels of liver enzymes, which may be a sign of liver damage. Symptoms can include:
- abdominal pain
- jaundice
- dark urine
- pale stool
- nausea and vomiting
- Severe allergic reaction.*
* For details about allergic reaction and Veozah, see “Allergic reaction” below.
ALLERGIC REACTIONAs with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Veozah. This side effect wasn’t reported in clinical trials of this drug but can still occur.
Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:
A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:
- swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
- trouble breathing
Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Veozah, as the reaction could become severe. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Veozah to treat certain conditions.
Veozah for certain symptoms of menopause
Veozah is FDA-approved to treat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms of menopause in adults.
Menopause typically starts 12 months after a person’s last period. Vasomotor symptoms are commonly known as hot flashes and night sweats. They occur due to hormonal changes during menopause that cause blood vessels to widen or narrow.
You can learn more about menopause and related symptoms by visiting our menopause hub.
Veozah and children
Veozah is not FDA-approved for use in children. It’s not known whether the drug is safe or effective for children.
The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.
Drug forms and strengths
Veozah comes as an oral tablet. It’s available in one strength: 45 milligrams (mg).
Dosage for certain symptoms of menopause
Veozah is approved for treating vasomotor symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes and night sweats). For this use, the typical dosage is one tablet (45 mg) once per day.
About taking Veozah
Below you’ll find information about key dosage issues.
- When to take: You should take Veozah once per day, around the same time each day. Taking the medication around the same time of day helps keep a steady level of the drug in your body. This helps Veozah work effectively.
- If you miss a dose: If it’s more than 12 hours until your next dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s fewer than 12 hours until your next dose, skip the missed dose. Then take your next dose at the regular time. If you aren’t sure whether to take or skip a missed dose, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Taking Veozah with food: You can take Veozah with food or without it.
- Crushing, splitting, or chewing Veozah: Veozah tablets should not be crushed, split, or chewed. Be sure to swallow the tablet whole. If you have trouble swallowing tablets, you can refer to this article for tips. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Length of time to work: Veozah will start to work after the first dose. However, it may take several weeks for you to decide whether Veozah is working well for you.
Overdose
Do not use more Veozah than your doctor recommends. For some drugs, doing so may lead to unwanted side effects or overdose. (To learn about side effects of Veozah, see the “Veozah side effects” section above.)
What to do in case you take too much Veozah
If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor. You can also call America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 or use its online tool. However, if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Veozah can interact with several other medications. It’s not known to interact with supplements or foods.
Before taking Veozah, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
Interactions with medications
Below is a list of medications that can interact with Veozah. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Veozah. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
| Medications that should not be used with Veozah | • mexiletine • fluvoxamine (Luvox) • cimetidine (Tagamet HB) |
Alcohol interaction
Alcohol is not known to interact with Veozah. However, both alcohol and Veozah are broken down by the liver. For this reason, it may be safer to avoid consuming alcohol while taking Veozah.
In addition, drinking alcohol may cause hot flashes and night sweats in some people. (Veozah is used to treat these symptoms of menopause.) If alcohol brings about your menopause symptoms, your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit alcohol consumption during Veozah treatment.
If you have questions about how much alcohol is safe to drink while taking Veozah, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others. If you’re interested in finding an alternative to Veozah, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.
The following drugs are alternatives to Veozah:
- hormone replacement therapy, such as estradiol/progesterone (Bijuva) and conjugated estrogens/medroxyprogesterone (Prempro, Premphase)
- certain antidepressants, such as paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil) and citalopram (Celexa)
- certain antiseizure drugs, such as gabapentin (Gralise, Horizant, Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica)
Note: Certain antidepressants and antiseizure drugs, including those listed above, may be used off-label to help manage menopause symptoms. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for a purpose other than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for.
If you can become pregnant, consider the following information about pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Veozah and pregnancy
It’s not known whether Veozah should be taken during pregnancy. If you’re planning a pregnancy or can become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Veozah and breastfeeding
It’s not known whether Veozah should be taken while breastfeeding. If you’re currently breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Veozah.
How does Veozah work?
Veozah works by blocking the activity of a certain brain chemical that helps manage your body temperature. By doing this, Veozah reduces hot flashes and night sweats and other vasomotor symptoms of menopause.
To learn more about how Veozah works, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also find details on the drug manufacturer’s website.
Does Veozah cause long-term side effects?
It isn’t likely. Long-term side effects weren’t reported in clinical trials of Veozah. Most of the drug’s side effects are expected to be temporary. They’ll likely go away shortly after you start or stop treatment with the drug. However, the length of time Veozah’s side effects last will vary between people. To learn more, see the “Veozah side effects” section above.
If you have questions about long-term side effects with Veozah, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Veozah similar to hormone therapy?
Doctors prescribe Veozah and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for similar uses. However, these medications have important differences.
Like Veozah, HRT is prescribed for vasomotor symptoms of menopause. (These symptoms are commonly known as hot flashes and night sweats.) HRT eases these symptoms by increasing hormone levels in the body.
Veozah isn’t a hormone and doesn’t affect hormone levels. Instead, it works by blocking the activity of a certain brain chemical. To learn more, see the “How does Veozah work?” question above.
In addition, HRT may cause serious side effects that Veozah isn’t known to cause.* For example, HRT may increase the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke. Your doctor can tell you more about these risks.
To learn more about how Veozah compares with HRT, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
* To learn about side effects of Veozah, see the “Veozah side effects” section above.
This drug comes with several precautions.
Before taking Veozah, discuss your health history with your doctor. Veozah may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. Be sure to talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:
- liver problems, such as cirrhosis
- kidney problems, such as kidney failure
- previous allergic reaction to this or a similar drug
- taking certain medications that may interact with Veozah (see “Veozah interactions” above)
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
Note: For more information about the potential negative effects of Veozah, see the “Veozah side effects” section above.
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.