Rejected Wyeth hot-flash drug effective in trial

NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Wyeth (WYE.N) on Monday said its experimental treatment for hot flashes, recently rejected by U.S. regulators, was effective in a clinical trial, although high blood pressure and other side effects were seen.

The drugmaker said its medicine desvenlafaxine, which the company had hoped to sell under the brand name Pristiq, significantly reduced hot flashes and night sweats in the study among menopausal women, compared with a placebo.

The most common side effects included loss of strength, high blood pressure, anorexia, constipation and nausea.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 24 said it would not approve Pristiq for hot flashes until the company completed a lengthy new trial to resolve concerns about potential heart and liver risks, sending Wyeth shares down more than 9 percent.

Meanwhile, Wyeth is continuing to develop another hot-flash treatment called bazedoxifene which has also proven effective in clinical trials, when used in combination with the female hormone estrogen. (Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)