Key TakeawaysThe FDA has approved Vivjoa to treat recurrent yeast infections in infertile and post-menopausal people.Vivjoa is taken orally, via a capsule.The medication is available through a prescription.

Key Takeaways

The FDA has approved Vivjoa to treat recurrent yeast infections in infertile and post-menopausal people.Vivjoa is taken orally, via a capsule.The medication is available through a prescription.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasapproved Vivjoa, an antifungal medication that is designed to reduce recurrent yeast infections in women with a history of the condition.

Vivjoa, which is a brand name for oral oteseconazole capsules, is designed for females with a history of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) who are infertile or post-menopausal. This is the first medication of its kind to treat chronic yeast infections.

The drug will be available through a prescription.

RVVC, which is also known as chronicyeast infection, is defined as having three or more symptomatic acute episodes of a yeast infection within 12 months. Symptoms include vaginal itching, burning, irritation, and inflammation. Some women may have abnormal vaginal discharge, pain during sex, and painful urination.

Mild to Severe Yeast Infection Symptoms

“Chronic yeast infections can be tricky to treat,”Jennifer Wider, MD,women’s health expert, told Verywell. “Having more options, including an effective medication for women who are either postmenopausal or infertile, will provide relief for millions of women who suffer from this common condition.”

The news is “very exciting,”Christine Greves, MD,a board-certified OB-GYN at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Florida, told Verywell. “There are quite a few women who suffer from recurrent yeast infections.”

Road to Approval

The approval of Vivjoa is based on the results of three phase 3 clinical trials of the medication that studied 875 patients at 232 sites across 11 countries.

Theglobal studiesshowed that 93.3% and 96.1% of women with RVVC who received Vivjoa didn’t have another vaginal yeast infection during the 48-week maintenance period. By comparison, just 57.2% and 60.6% of patients who received a placebo did not develop another vaginal yeast infection during that time.

What to Know About Vivjoa

Vivjoa is the only drug that is specifically approved to treat recurrent yeast infections in select people. Prior to the approval, recurrent yeast infections were treated with longer courses of commonly used antifungal medications, including miconazole, clotrimazole, and fluconazole, Wider said.

“There are other options than Vivjoa to treat recurrent yeast infections, but none with the statistics that this medication seems to offer,” Greves said.

How to Take Vivjoa

When Vivjoa is taken alone, it’s dispensed as a single 600 mg dose on day one and a 450 mg dose on day two. On day 14, patients are advised to take a 150 mg dose of Vivjoa every week for 11 weeks.

How Does Vivjoa Work?

Accessibility and Limitations of Vivjoa

Known Side Effects

The most frequently reported side effects included headache (in 7.4% of patients) and nausea (in 3.6% of patients).

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.VIVJOA (oteseconazole) capsules, for oral use[drug label].

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.VIVJOA (oteseconazole) capsules, for oral use[drug label].

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Food and Drug Administration.VIVJOA (oteseconazole) capsules, for oral use[drug label].

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