This week, Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg and Thomas Lundeberg were awarded applied for a U.S. patent for the use of oxytocin to treat the symptoms of menopause. Both are researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden; Uvnas-Moberg is author of "The Oxytocin Factor."

The patent covers oral and injectible drugs, as well as inhalants, creams and gels.

The present invention relates to the use of substances with oxytocin activity against climacteric disorders or similar symptoms due to dysfunction in the ovaries. It also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one substance with oxytocin activity against climacteric disorders.

In addition to its role in social bonding, aka love, oxytocin's role in the parasympathetic nervous system includes the control of memory and learning processes and of various types of behaviour such as feeding, locomotion, as well as maternal and sexual behaviour. Oxytocin is also suggested to participate in the control of cardiovascular functions, thermoregulation, and pain threshold and fluid balance, according to the patent.

Inefficient thermoregulation leads to hot flashes, and memory loss is a common symptom of menopause.

The patent claims the use of oxytocin and additional substances that amplify its effects for treating weight changes, mood swings, hot flushes, somatic discomfort, dry and ulcerous mucous membranes, fissures, and bone loss during pre-menopause, menopause itself and post menopause (when menstruation has ceased for good).

The patent cites a study of seven women aged 60 to 70, which I assume was conducted by Uvnas-Moberg and Lundeberg, both tktktkt. The women were healthy except for their vaginal walls, which were thin and atrophied. Each inserted mg/ml of oxytocin gel into their vaginas.

After a treatment lasting 2-3 days, the mucous membranes had improved in that they looked like those in a fertile woman. They were all perfused with blood and all ulcers had disappeared.

At the same time, it was observed that the mood of the women was improved. They seemed obviously happy and reported that they felt happy, and many of them had resumed their sex lives.

In another experiment, five days of the same treatment relieved the symptoms of 20 menopausal women.

Sounds like a wonder drug to me!