For years, menopause has been treated as a stage of life that women are simply expected to endure through a miasma of misinformation and treatments that come with health risks. Now, a new drug from AbCellera Biologics is raising hopes that relief from hot flashes and night sweats could be on the horizon. The Vancouver-based company announced its “transformational” Phase 2 results for ABCL635, its experimental once-monthly, self-injected treatment for menopausal symptoms. According to AbCellera, women taking ABCL635 experienced an 83 per cent reduction in the frequency and severity of menopause symptoms, along with improvements in sleep quality. More importantly, this non-hormonal therapy showed no severe adverse events or serious side effects. The announcement comes at a time when menopause is moving from the shadows into the spotlight. Celebrities like Naomi Watts and Halle Berry have helped turn “The Change” into a booming wellness market, selling everything from supplements to symptom-relief products. But there’s also a growing demand for treatments grounded in science rather than hype, which is why the results for this therapy are so intriguing. Although it’s still in the experimental stage, ABCL635 is a welcome signal that menopause treatment is finally entering a long-anticipated new era.  |  Getty Images