Background: Neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) antagonism is a promising novel treatment for menopausal flashes. However, to avoid adverse hormonal effects it is clinically important to first confirm whether gonadotropin and estradiol concentrations change as a result of their administration. Methods: Single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of an oral NK3R antagonist (MLE4901) in 28 women aged 40-62yrs, experiencing >7 hot flashes/24h; some bothersome or severe (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02668185). Weekly serum gonadotropins and estradiol levels were measured using commercially available automated immunoassays a priori. Serum estradiol was also measured post hoc using a highly sensitive direct assay by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Hormone levels were compared by the paired sample t-tests or by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test, as appropriate for the distribution of the data. Results: Mean (SD) serum FSH concentration was not significantly increased when taking MLE4901 (72.07 ±19.81iU/L) compared to placebo (70.03 ±19.56iU/L), p=0.26. Serum
estradiol was also not significantly altered, irrespective of which assay method was used (median IQR of serum estradiol by immunoassay: placebo 36 ±3pmol/L, MLE4901 36 ± 1pmol/L, p=0.21; median serum highly sensitive estradiol: placebo 12 ± 16pmol/L, MLE4901
5 13 ± 15pmol/L, p=0.70). However, mean (SD) serum LH concentration significantly decreased with MLE4901 (27.63 ± 9.76iU/L) compared to placebo (30.26 ± 9.75iU/L), p=0.0024. Implication: NK3R antagonists do not increase serum estradiol or FSH despite their reduction in hot flashes. This is clinically significant; and highly reassuring for women who have a contraindication to conventional hormone therapy such as prior/existing breast cancer and/or thromboembolism.