The first endometriosis drug in four decades is on the horizon

Listen to this story. But whereas doctors understand why diabetes occurs and how to treat it, their understanding of endometriosis is languishing “30 to 40 years” behind, according to Andrew Horne, a professor of gynaecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Edinburgh and president-elect of the World Endometriosis Society. If the drug is approved, which may be possible within the next five to seven years, DCA will be the first new endometriosis treatment discovered in four decades. A report released last month by McKinsey, a consultancy, concluded that “systematic lack of disease understanding” led to a loss of 40m-45m disability-adjusted life years for women annually, amounting to four lost days of “healthy life” per year per woman worldwide. In 2022 Emmanuel Macron, the country’s president, declared endometriosis “society’s problem” and made improving treatment a national priority.