--- title: FDA Approves First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade description: The Food and Drug Administration approved drug maker AbbVie's Orilissa, the first new treatment for endometriosis in more than a decade. canonical: https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-25T12:18:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:16.948Z article:section: Health og:title: The FDA Approved the First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade og:description: It will be available as soon as next month og:url: https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53941944aebffb55/69893628bc6cfc748d3e6864/abbvie-headquarters.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: abbvie-headquarters og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The FDA Approved the First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade twitter:description: It will be available as soon as next month twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53941944aebffb55/69893628bc6cfc748d3e6864/abbvie-headquarters.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The FDA Approved the First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade ## Video: Lena Dunham Had a Full Hysterectomy to Remove Her Uterus and Cervix and End Endometriosis Pain [Watch (HLS stream): Lena Dunham Had a Full Hysterectomy to Remove Her Uterus and Cervix and End Endometriosis Pain](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ua5jJtcB.m3u8) (1:52)  _Published 2018-02-14. Lena Dunham recently underwent a total hysterectomy to remove her uterus and cervix, in the hopes of ending her crippling endometriosis-related pain_  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jul 25, 2018 12:18 PM UTC  Photo via AbbVie  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jul 25, 2018 12:18 PM UTC The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday approved the first new treatment for endometriosis in more than a decade, [the drug’s manufacturer announced](https://news.abbvie.com/news/abbvie-receives-us-fda-approval-orilissa-elagolix-for-management-moderate-to-severe-pain-associated-with-endometriosis.htm). The drug, called Orilissa, will offer a new therapy to some of the roughly 176 million women worldwide who experience the painful gynecological condition, many of whom [suffer for years before finding an adequate therapy](http://endometriosis.org/news/general/appgwh-report-highlights-insufficient-care-for-women-with-endometriosis-and-fibroids/). The oral medication will hit pharmacy shelves as soon as next month, according to a release from manufacturer AbbVie. Endometriosis, which affects about one in 10 women of reproductive age, occurs when tissue that typically lines the uterus grows outside of it, [according to the Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656). This growth can result in debilitating pain, particularly around a woman’s menstrual cycle or during sex, and may also lead to fertility issues. Currently, many women with the condition are treated with oral contraceptives, painkillers or hormonal therapies, and in some cases — [as with actress Lena Dunham](http://time.com/5157553/lena-dunham-hysterectomy-vogue/) — patients may resort to a hysterectomy or other surgical options. Orilissa, also known by the generic name elagolix, was shown in two clinical trials to decrease patients’ pain better than a placebo pill after six months of treatment, according to AbbVie’s statement. The drug does, however, lower estrogen levels in the body, possibly resulting in bone loss, the statement says. It may also affect menstrual periods and increase the risk of miscarriage if taken while pregnant, as well as a number of other side effects. A four-week supply of the drug will cost $845 without insurance, [the Chicago _Tribune_ reports](http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-bc-us-med--fda-endometriosis-drug-20180724-story.html). A number of prominent women have spoken out about their struggles with endometriosis over the years, including Dunham and [actresses Tia Mowry](http://time.com/4701471/tia-mowry-diet-endometriosis/) and [Daisy Ridley](http://time.com/4363826/daisy-ridley-endometriosis-instagram/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/"},"headline":"The FDA Approved the First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade","datePublished":"2018-07-25T12:18:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:53:16.948Z","description":"It will be available as soon as next month","url":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/","keywords":["medicine","onetime","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53941944aebffb55/69893628bc6cfc748d3e6864/abbvie-headquarters.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53941944aebffb55/69893628bc6cfc748d3e6864/abbvie-headquarters.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"abbvie-headquarters","caption":"Abbvie-headquarters","creditText":"Photo via AbbVie","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/medicine/","name":"medicine"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/","name":"The FDA Approved the First New Endometriosis Treatment In a Decade"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Lena Dunham Had a Full Hysterectomy to Remove Her Uterus and Cervix and End Endometriosis Pain","description":"Lena Dunham recently underwent a total hysterectomy to remove her uterus and cervix, in the hopes of ending her crippling endometriosis-related pain","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Ua5jJtcB/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-02-14T15:53:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ua5jJtcB.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/","duration":"PT1M52S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5348119/orilissa-endometriosis-fda/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```