Tauranga breast cancer survivors are being recruited for a trial of a non-hormonal drug to help hot flushes.

Biotech startup QUE Oncology is expanding its phase II trials across New Zealand to test it's non-hormonal drug on breast cancer survivors suffering severe hot flushes as a result of long-term preventative breast cancer therapy.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the company has launched trials in Tauranga, Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Christchurch to test its drug Q-122 on reducing both the severity and amount of hot flushes in women undergoing long-term endocrine therapy.

They need 100 Kiwi breast cancer survivors to take part in the trials.

More than 3300 New Zealand women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year – the most common form of cancer in Kiwi women.

After a diagnosis of breast cancer, women are routinely prescribed endocrine therapy for up to 10 years post-diagnosis. These drugs are known to reduce the recurrence of breast cancer by reducing or blocking the action of estrogen, a hormone known to stimulate the growth of breast cancer.

The most common side-effect of reducing estrogen is an increased likelihood of severe hot flashes and night sweats. QUE Oncology is looking to develop a therapy to address these debilitating symptoms.

Auckland optimal clinical trials director, Dr Penny Montgomery says, 'The hot flushes and night sweats experienced by some women having treatments for breast cancer are often underestimated and greatly affect their quality of life, which can ultimately lead to them stopping effective treatment early. We are excited to be involved in the development of a potential new supportive therapy for these women”.

QUE Oncology CEO Dr Rob Crombie says 'We are very excited to be expanding our clinical trial for Q-122 to three new sites in New Zealand, working with the best clinicians and sites across the globe. Trials in this area are urgently needed to identify effective treatments to combat these side effects.”

The Phase II trial is also taking place in leading hospitals across the United States and Australia.

QUE Oncology's products also have the potential to expand into related conditions, such as hot flushes associated with menopause, and hot flushes experienced by men undergoing prostate cancer treatment, the company says.

Previous trials with Q-122 have shown an excellent safety profile in over 60 patients and healthy volunteers. In a previous Phase 1b trial in women undergoing estrogen reduction therapy for breast cancer, 85 per cent of women showed a reduction in both the frequency and severity of their hot flushes.

Women interested in participating in the clinical trials should visit www.queoncology.com.