FDA fast-tracking review for AbbVie’s endometriosis drug

A new medicine to combat pain associated with endometriosis has received approval for fast-track FDA review, AbbVie, its manufacturer, said recently.

Elagolix, co-developed with Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., is an oral medication that suppresses gonadotropin, a hormone that may affect patients suffering from endometriosis. If all goes as planned, the medication could be approved by the second quarter of next year, AbbVie said in a release.

"We are pleased that elagolix has been granted priority review by the FDA and (we) will continue to work closely with the agency to hopefully bring this treatment to women suffering from endometriosis as soon as possible," Michael Severino, executive vice president of research and development and chief scientific officer at AbbVie, said in the release.

Endometriosis causes the growth of uterine tissue in the pelvis and can affect the bladder and bowel of affected women, the release said.