The good news for women: a drug to limit hot flushes. The bad: it could cost you £430 a month | Devi Sridhar

Veoza reduces the severity of this common menopausal symptom. But at that high cost, only the wealthy will gain just now

After decades of neglect, menopause and the impact it has on women's life quality is becoming a major focus of pharmaceutical research. Hence the excitement this week about a new, potentially life-changing, drug.

Part of this is the growing recognition of what a huge market it is: the NHS estimates that 13 million women are currently peri- or menopausal in the UK, which is roughly a third of the female population. The most common symptom is hot flushes, which, in addition to fatigue, mood swings and muscle weakness, can seriously impact women's wellbeing and productivity.

Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh