The black box warning on menopause treatments could change. Here’s why.

Jennifer Gerson

Reporter

Published

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Dr. Marty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said in an interview with CNN last week that changes to the black box warning on hormone therapies for menopause containing estrogen are coming. “We are in serious discussions now about what to do about the black box warning, and I think you’ll hear something on it very soon,” Makary told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the “ Chasing Life ” podcast.

All menopause treatments containing estrogen — including pills, patches, spray and creams — have since 2003 carried a black box warning, the strongest class of warning issued by the FDA on medication.

Experts on menopause care disagree on whether the black box w