Women’s health champion Maxwellia is pleased to announce the availability of Evana Heavy Period Relief 500mg tablets (tranexamic acid) and Ultravana Period Pain Relief 250mg gastro-resistant tablets (naproxen) to help women manage heavy and painful periods. They will be available to buy from pharmacies without a prescription nationwide later this year.

Evana is an anti-fibrinolytic indicated for the reduction of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), reducing flow by up to 60%. The only pharmacy brand available for the relief of heavy menstrual bleeding; Evana can be used in women aged 18 to 45 years. Ultravana is indicated for the relief of primary dysmenorrhea (period pain) in women aged 15 to 50 years. The products can also be used in combination to effectively reduce heavy bleeding and pain experienced by women.

Maxwellia has launched these medicines in response to a current unmet need in women’s health where ‘normalisation’ of periods means many women are struggling with disruptive symptoms each month and are not seeking advice and treatment from a healthcare professional. A survey of 3,000 women and girls for the Wellbeing of Women charity found that they are often dismissed as ‘just having a period’, despite experiencing severe pain (59%), heavy bleeding (49%) and irregular cycles. Nearly all (96%) women experience some type of period pain and over half surveyed found it difficult to access treatment and support.

Welcoming the decision, Diana Mansour, Consultant in Community Gynaecology Newcastle Hospitals, Community Health says: “Tranexamic acid and naproxen are widely used in the hospital setting and are effective well tolerated medicines for women who have heavy menstrual bleeding and pain. So, it is very good news for women that these brands are going to be available in pharmacy and that an education support programme will be rolled out to encourage important treatment conversations. 

Janice Perkins, former Superintendent Pharmacist says: “These products are going to be a great extension to the range of over-the-counter medicines available to pharmacists to support those experiencing problems with their periods. Naproxen will be an excellent addition to our NSAID pain relief portfolio, whilst Tranexamic acid’s launch builds on our existing skills and knowledge so it should be straight forward to get up to speed. This launch provides further opportunity for pharmacists and their teams to think holistically about the patient and have opportunistic conversations with women about their health especially if they are buying other period related products, pain relief or supplements. There is no reason for millions of women to have their life impacted on a monthly basis and it’s great that pharmacists can now do more to support.”  

Maxwellia founder and CEO Anna Maxwell, a pharmacist says: “It is simply unacceptable that anyone is expected to suffer with a condition that regularly stops them functioning and has a negative impact on their overall quality of life. We hear all too often of menstrual periods disrupting the lives of women and girls, including having to take time off school, work, or their caring responsibilities, all of which may result in avoidable mental health problems. Many women still don’t know that they do not have to suffer in silence and that there are treatments available. By widening access to these medicines so they can be bought from a pharmacy will result in significant improvements in women’s health. We now need to spread the word, encourage women to talk about their experiences, and take practical steps to help themselves.”

Maxwellia will be supporting pharmacists and pharmacy teams with training and education materials and provision of in-store promotional materials. Understanding the current workload for pharmacists as the Pharmacy First initiative is rolled out, Maxwellia will be staggering the consumer marketing activity to give pharmacists time to get up to speed with Evana and Ultravana. Their education and empowerment campaign will be rolled out later in the year which will encourage women to have a conversation with their pharmacist if they are suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding or pain.

“Many women who are struggling, who have their social and working life curtailed and have to set alarms to change sanitary products in the night just think this is normal, when it really isn’t. I am constantly amazed at what women put up with,” Dr Caroline Cooper, GP. “Tranexamic acid and naproxen are two effective medicines that work well, both individually and together, and can really improve the quality of a woman’s life. Having Evana and Ultravana available in pharmacies opens doors for us to start having really important conversations about menstrual health”. 

Maxwellia, spearheaded the reclassification of the daily progestogen-only pill and launched Lovimain 2021, a move considered to be the biggest in women’s health in 60 years. The company is developing the next generation of consumer healthcare pharmacy brands which will treat a range of conditions in major public health categories.

Maxwellia founder and CEO Anna Maxwell, continues: “We are 100% committed to improving women’s health in the UK. Heavy and painful periods are common, but they are not normal. We are really pleased to have been able to bring two effective medicines to market that are widely used by doctors in hospitals and clinics. Through the availability of these new pharmacy brands, we can drive awareness of the condition and let women know that there are treatment options available, with the aim of drawing them in to talk to their pharmacist, which enables an earlier intervention than would normally happen under the present system.

This is another momentous step on our journey in enabling pharmacists to broaden their front-line role. As a registered pharmacist I know that pharmacists and their teams can play an even greater role in helping women take more control of their own health.”

Evana will be available in UK pharmacies from July 2024 at a recommended retail price of £14.95 per pack of 18 tablets, and Ultravana will be available at the same time with a retail price of £5.95 per pack of 9 tablets.

Pharmacist and pharmacy teams can visit the Evana and Ultravana HCP portal at www.evanaperiods.com/hcp.

For more information about Maxwellia visit www.maxwellia.com