Endometriosis
The first therapeutic area of interest for the Company is endometriosis, one of the most significant diseases affecting young women and one of a series of "reproductive system diseases," affecting reproductive-age women. The prevalence of endometriosis is about 10 to 15 percent of women aged 15 to 45. Endometriosis is a women's disease in which endometrial tissue or the tissue resembling the lining of the uterus is found in the pelvic region. Through each menstrual cycle, this aberrant tissue will bleed cyclically. Such bleeding is intimately connected to menses and results eventually in fibrosis. Active and fibrotic endometrial tissue can cause severe pain during each menstrual cycle. Cycles of bleeding and fibrosis, especially in endometriosis nodules around the ovaries and fallopian tubes, can lead to infertility.
The cause of endometriosis is not known at this time, although recent work has implicated the immune system in this women's disease. An alternative or concurrent cause is based on data demonstrating that the endometrial tissue itself may be aberrant and become abnormally invasive. Morbidity associated with this women's disease can be considerable. Pain can be debilitating and result in loss of school and work days. Endometriosis is also a significant cause of infertility and can account for about 25 to 30 percent of unexplained infertility. Drugs approved in the U.S. for endometriosis consist of danazol, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Surgery is also frequently used to treat endometriosis. In Europe, other drugs are available for use, namely, progestogens such as gestrionine; these are not approved in the U.S. Drugs are used primarily to treat pain associated with endometriosis. None of the drugs currently available cure or change the course of the disease.
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