Veozah vs Lynkuet: fezolinetant and elinzanetant compared

Name: Veozah vs Lynkuet: fezolinetant and elinzanetant compared
Creator: MenoWoman

Veozah (fezolinetant) and Lynkuet (elinzanetant) are both non-hormonal prescription pills that reduce moderate to severe hot flashes, but they work slightly differently and have different safety warnings. No trial has compared them head to head, so a doctor decides which, if either, suits you.

Researched by the MenoWoman team. Edited by Marcela Sat. Updated 7 November 2026. We may earn from links.

If you take fezolinetant or elinzanetant, contact your doctor or get medical help the same day for yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, itching, nausea, vomiting or pain under the right ribs, which can signal liver injury. With elinzanetant, also report drowsiness that affects driving, any seizure, or a possible pregnancy.

How each drug works

Both drugs act on a group of brain cells that help control body temperature. These cells become overactive when estrogen falls, which triggers hot flashes.⁶

Fezolinetant blocks one signal, the neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor.¹ It is sold as Veozah in the US and Canada and as Veoza in the UK, EU and Australia.^3,5,7,9
Elinzanetant blocks two signals, the NK1 and NK3 receptors.² It is sold as Lynkuet.

For the wider picture, including older non-hormonal options, see non-hormonal prescription treatments.

Fezolinetant vs elinzanetant: what the trials showed

Each drug was tested against a placebo (dummy pill), not against the other. Trial groups and methods differed, so the numbers below cannot be compared directly.

Fezolinetant. Two 12-week trials enrolled 522 and 500 women. At week 12, women on the licensed dose had about 6.4 and 7.5 fewer moderate to severe hot flashes a day. Women on placebo had about 3.9 and 5.0 fewer.¹

Elinzanetant. Two 12-week trials (OASIS 1 and 2) enrolled 796 women. At week 12, women on elinzanetant had about 8.7 and 9.7 fewer moderate to severe hot flashes a day, compared with about 5.4 and 6.5 on placebo.²

The EU regulator also reviewed a study of 474 women whose hot flashes were caused by hormone-blocking breast cancer treatment. Hot flashes fell by about 8 a day on elinzanetant and about 4 on placebo.⁴

Women on placebo also improved a lot in all of these trials, so the extra benefit from each drug is the gap between the groups.^1,2

Side effects and who can't take it

Fezolinetant. The US label carries a boxed warning, the FDA's strongest, titled "Risks of hepatotoxicity" (liver damage). It says liver injury has occurred after the drug came to market. It requires liver blood tests before starting and repeat tests during the first 9 months.¹ NICE says it is not recommended for people with liver disease.⁵ In a year-long trial, the most common side effects were belly pain (4.3% vs 2.1% on placebo), diarrhea, trouble sleeping and raised liver enzymes (2.3% vs 0.8%).¹

In the US it must not be used by people with cirrhosis, severe kidney disease, or who take medicines that block the liver enzyme CYP1A2.¹ The EU and Canadian labels also rule out use in pregnancy.^3,7

Elinzanetant. The US label has no boxed warning. It warns about drowsiness and next-day impairment, raised liver enzymes, pregnancy loss, and seizures in people with a seizure history.² Liver blood tests are needed before starting and again at about 3 months.²

In its year-long trial, the most common side effects were headache (9.6% vs 7.0%), tiredness (7.3% vs 2.9%), dizziness and sleepiness.² It must not be used in pregnancy.^2,4 Pregnancy is still possible in perimenopause. The US label says pregnancy should be ruled out before starting and effective birth control used during treatment.²

Some other medicines can change how these drugs work.^1,2 A pharmacist can check your current list.

Approval status by country (checked November 2026)

US: both are FDA-approved for moderate to severe hot flashes of menopause. Veozah was first approved in 2023 and Lynkuet in 2025. The Veozah label was last revised in February 2026; the Lynkuet label is dated October 2025.^1,2
UK: the MHRA approved Lynkuet on July 8, 2025, the first approval anywhere.⁶ Fezolinetant is licensed as Veoza. NICE recommended it for hot flushes in England on March 31, 2026, but only when HRT is unsuitable.⁵
EU: Veoza was authorized on December 7, 2023.³ Lynkuet was authorized on November 17, 2025, for menopause and for hot flashes caused by breast cancer hormone therapy.⁴
Canada: Lynkuet was authorized on July 23, 2025.⁸ Veozah was authorized on December 2, 2024.⁷
Australia: the TGA approved Veoza on February 22, 2024.⁹ It approved Lynkuet on September 5, 2025, for menopause hot flashes only. It did not approve use for hot flashes caused by breast cancer treatment.¹⁰

NICE made no recommendation on fezolinetant for people currently being treated for breast or other estrogen-dependent cancers.⁵ Both are prescription-only, and cost and insurance cover vary. For background on the newer drug, see elinzanetant's 2025 approvals.

Which pill to consider depends on your health, other medicines, liver results and local availability. That is a decision for you and your doctor.

What it is used for: evidence rated

Option	Evidence	What the research shows
Hot flashes (fezolinetant, Veozah/Veoza)	Strong evidence	Two placebo-controlled trials of 522 and 500 women showed fewer moderate to severe hot flashes at 12 weeks.¹
Hot flashes and night sweats (elinzanetant, Lynkuet)	Strong evidence	Two placebo-controlled trials with 796 women showed fewer moderate to severe hot flashes at 12 weeks.²
Hot flashes from breast cancer hormone therapy (elinzanetant)	Some evidence	One trial of 474 women supported EU approval for this use. Australia did not approve it for this group.^4,10
Head-to-head comparison	No evidence	No published trial has compared the two drugs directly, so neither can be called better.^1,2

Ratings explained: how we rate. Always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting a medicine or supplement.