
9 April 2024
Maxwellia revolutionises menstrual health category in pharmacy with the introduction of Evana® and Ultravana®
Alderley Park, Cheshire, UK - April 08, 2024 - Women’s health champion Maxwellia is pleased to announce the availability of Evana® Heavy Period Relief 500mg tablets (tranexamic acid) and Ultravana® Period Pain Relief 250mg tablets (naproxen) to help women manage heavy and painful periods. They will be available to buy from pharmacies without a prescription nationwide later this year.
The launch is in response to a current unmet need in women’s health where ‘normalisation’ of periods means many women are struggling with disruptive symptoms each month and are not seeking advice and treatment from a healthcare professional. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding affects as many as 30% of women of reproductive age, while period pain is estimated to affect 71% of young women. Both have significant negative impacts on wellbeing and quality of life. A survey of 3,000 women and girls for the Wellbeing of Women charity found that they are often dismissed as ‘just having a period’, despite their reports of experiencing severe pain (59%) and heavy bleeding (49%). Nearly all (96%) women experienced some type of period pain and over half surveyed found it difficult to access treatment and support.
Maxwellia's founder and CEO Anna Maxwell says, "It is simply unacceptable that anyone is expected to suffer with a condition that has a negative impact on their overall quality of life. We hear all too often of menstrual periods disrupting the lives of women and girls, including having to take time off school, work, or their caring responsibilities. Many women still don’t know that they do not have to suffer in silence and that there are treatments available. Widening access to these medicines so they can be bought from a pharmacy will result in significant improvements in women’s health. We now need to spread the word, encourage women to talk about their experiences, and take practical steps to help themselves."
Maxwellia is supporting pharmacists and pharmacy teams with comprehensive training and education materials and provision of in-store promotional materials. An education and empowerment campaign will be rolled out later in the year designed to empower women to have a conversation with their pharmacist if they are suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding or pain.
Anna Maxwell, continues: “We are 100% committed to improving women’s health in the UK. Heavy and painful periods are common, but they are not normal. We are really pleased to have been able to bring two effective medicines to market that are widely used by doctors in hospitals and clinics and can now be accessed in the pharmacy setting as a self-care option. Through the availability of these new pharmacy brands, we can drive awareness of the condition and let women know that there are treatment options available, with the aim of drawing them in to talk to their pharmacist, which enables an earlier intervention than would normally happen under the present system. This is another momentous step on our journey in enabling pharmacists to broaden their front-line role helping people take more control of their own health.”