Actress and Menopause Advocate Melissa Joan Hart Partners with Bayer to Raise Awareness about Lynkuet® (elinzanetant), a Prescription Treatment for Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes due to Menopause

WHIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 8, 2026--

Bayer today announced a partnership with actress and menopause advocate Melissa Joan Hart to increase awareness about Lynkuet ® (elinzanetant) 60mg capsules, Bayer’s FDA-approved, hormone-free prescription treatment for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. 1 Through the partnership, Hart will share her personal experience with moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause to help women recognize their symptoms and to encourage more proactive treatment conversations with their healthcare providers.

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Hot flashes are among the most common symptoms of menopause. 2 Hot flashes can impact women differently 3 and some, when severe can be disruptive. 4 As a hormone-free treatment option, Lynkuet reduces moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. 1 In clinical trials measuring efficacy at weeks 4 and 12, women experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes who took Lynkuet had fewer and less severe hot flashes, day and night. Some women experienced fewer hot flashes in as early as one week although individual results may vary. 5 Please see below for Important Safety Information for Lynkuet.

“I thought my days of waking up in the middle of the night were behind me after raising my kids. Then menopause came along. I knew hot flashes could happen, but I didn't expect them to affect me the way they did. I found myself sometimes waking up at night, this time not because of my kids, but because of severe hot flashes,” said Melissa Joan Hart. “I know I’m not the only woman who has experienced moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. I hope sharing my experience encourages women to talk openly with their healthcare providers about their symptoms and treatment options, like Lynkuet.”

As the one year anniversary of the FDA approval of Lynkuet approaches, Hart joins Bayer’s “ Life Doesn’t Stop for a Hot Flash ” campaign. Though Hart is not a Lynkuet patient, she is helping to raise awareness about Lynkuet and encourage women to learn more about their treatment options through multiple initiatives including a Reddit Ask Me Anything campaign.

“Since the FDA approval of Lynkuet in October 2025, Bayer has been working with healthcare providers, menopause advocates, and experts and Lynkuet patients to help open up conversations about moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause and ensure women are aware treatment options are available," said Amy Hessels, Vice President, Women’s Healthcare Marketing at Bayer. "Partnering with Melissa Joan Hart will further our efforts to help break down barriers and fuel important conversations about hot flashes.”

To learn more about the campaign and to access the Lynkuet discussion guide for tips on discussing moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause with your healthcare provider, visit lynkuet.com.

Product Indication and Important Safety Information

INDICATION

What is LYNKUET ® (elinzanetant)?
LYNKUET is a prescription medicine used to reduce moderate to severe hot flashes (also known as vasomotor symptoms) due to menopause. LYNKUET is not a hormone. Hot flashes are feelings of warmth in the face, neck, and chest, or sudden intense feelings of heat and sweating.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take LYNKUET if you:

Before you use LYNKUET, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. LYNKUET may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how LYNKUET works.

What should I avoid while taking LYNKUET?

LYNKUET can cause serious side effects, including:

Common side effects of LYNKUET include:

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that do not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of LYNKUET.

LYNKUET is available by prescription only.

You are encouraged to report side effects or quality complaints of products to the FDA by visiting www.fda.gov/medwatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088. For Bayer products, you can report these directly to Bayer by clicking here

For important information about LYNKUET, please see theFull Prescribing Information

About Lynkuet®(elinzanetant)
Lynkuet ® (elinzanetant) 60mg capsules is an FDA-approved, hormone-free prescription treatment for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. Lynkuet is the first and only dual neurokinin (NK) targeted therapy, neurokinin 1 (NK1) and neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. If a patient cannot afford their prescription, Bayer may be able to help. Eligible patients may receive their Bayer prescription medicine at no cost through the Bayer U.S. Patient Assistance Foundation. For more information, please visit www.patientassistance.bayer.us or call to speak with a member of Bayer’s team at 1-866-2BUSPAF (228-7723).

About the OASIS-1, 2 and 3 trials
The FDA approval of Lynkuet ® (elinzanetant) 60mg capsules is supported by data from three Phase III clinical trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of Lynkuet for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. The efficacy of Lynkuet for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause was demonstrated in the first 12 weeks of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trials, OASIS-1 and OASIS-2, in 796 menopausal women. The co-primary efficacy endpoints in both trials were the mean change in frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flashes from baseline to weeks 4 and 12, including day and night hot flashes. The safety of Lynkuet was evaluated in three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trials (OASIS-1, OASIS-2 and OASIS-3) in 1,420 women. In OASIS-3, 627 women received Lynkuet or placebo for up to 52 weeks to evaluate long-term safety.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros.

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Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Disclosures
Melissa Joan Hart is a paid Bayer spokesperson and has been compensated for her time. She is not taking Lynkuet.

References
1 LYNKUET ® (elinzanetant) [Prescribing Information]. Whippany, NJ: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; August 2026.
2 Thurston RC, Joffe H. Vasomotor symptoms and menopause: findings from the Study of Women's Health across the Nation. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011;38(3):489-501.
3 Shepherd JA, Shiozawa A, Schild AL, et. al. Retrospective text and qualitative analyses of patient experience and management of vasomotor symptoms due to menopause: voices from the PatientsLikeMe community. Menopause. 2024;31(9):789-795.
4 US Food and Drug Administration. Estrogen and estrogen/progestin drug products to treat vasomotor symptoms and vulvar and vaginal atrophy. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/estrogen-and-estrogenprogestin-drug-products-treat-vasomotor-symptoms-and-vulvar-and-vaginal-atrophy. Accessed October 23, 2025.
5 Pinkerton JV, Simon JA, Joffe H, et al. Elinzanetant for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: OASIS 1 and 2 randomized clinical trials. JAMA. 2024;332(16):1343-1354. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.14618

Actress and Menopause Advocate Melissa Joan Hart Partners with Bayer to Raise Awareness about Lynkuet® (elinzanetant), a Prescription Treatment for Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes due to Menopause

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — When the socialists filed into the pews of a church sanctuary in Texas, there were far more than would have attended just two years ago.

But that was before members of the Democratic Socialists of America were winning congressional primaries, and the acronym “DSA” became a fixture on television news chyrons. And before Democrats began arguing about whether to court or rebuke this movement, and President Donald Trump started to complain about the threat of “godless communists."

For many across the country, it all seemed to happen rather quickly, a political movement fresh off the bench that would, depending on who was asked, either uplift the working class or usher in Stalinism.

But for some in that church, none of this was quite so surprising. The Austin DSA, like many of the 250 chapters spanning the country, has spent years marshaling its members' earnestness, and their willingness to volunteer dozens or hundreds of hours, into a local movement with an eye toward national power.

They say that achieving their more distant goals — like abolishing prisons and achieving universal health care — starts with street protests, making lunches for people without homes and electing city council members. Although the progressive city of Austin was already fertile soil for a socialist chapter, the group's recent growth has mirrored a broader expansion as nationwide DSA membership more than doubled to 126,000 in the past two years.

“We put in our sweat equity, we’ve put in time, we have put in dollars,” said Nathan Fernandes, speaking to the group gathered in the cavernous church. “We make the DSA difference ourselves because special interests can buy elections, but people can’t buy what we have.”

The evening meeting started with detailed training on how to observe and take video of immigration enforcement — “film horizontally" — and a presentation on getting the word out about a boycott of Starbucks to support the baristas' contract negotiations.

Then spoke Misael Ramos, a DSA member and candidate for Austin City Council, who was followed by an announcement that the chapter had knocked on roughly 7,000 doors for his campaign. Another canvass was around the corner.

When that day arrived, two newer DSA members, Mark Ramirez and Clarisse Manuel, showed up to learn that their candidate, Ramos, had been arrested that morning for participating in a protest over the shooting of a Venezuelan man by a federal immigration agent. Ramos is fighting the misdemeanor charge.

Shaken by the news, Ramirez and Manuel held off on the canvassing, stopping at a gas station and grabbing snacks. A man in a soiled jean jacket asked for a few bucks, and Ramirez, checking his empty wallet, proffered a bag of the salt and lime peanuts he'd just purchased.

Over the past years, Ramirez, a 28-year-old software engineer, had felt frustrated by the ills of the world, particularly immigration crackdowns but also homelessness, the war in Gaza, medical debt in America, and the list went on. Doomscrolling into a depression felt inadequate.

The Democratic Party was “captured by corporate interests,” said Ramirez, now sitting at a picnic table with Manuel outside the gas station, but the DSA offered something beyond handwringing. It tracked ICE raids, mounted a campaign to remove automated license plate readers in Austin, organized with labor unions and its members routinely donated their time and money to make hundreds of sandwiches for people in need.

“Healthcare, food and housing are things that everybody needs, and we have millions of times the productive force to meet all of those people’s needs,” Ramirez said. But as a society, "we choose not to.”

The DSA chapter's gumption offered an antidote for Ramirez, who was one of roughly 700 people who signed on in the last year, growing their ranks by more than half.

“It is on me, and I think it’s on everybody, to resist," he said. “While I’m calling for them to redistribute the wealth, I have to do a bit myself.”

The 25-year-old Manuel, who sat across from Ramirez, jumped in, saying that together members are showing what “can be achieved if we have a mass movement.”

“That’s why I joined DSA,” Manuel continued. He saw "an organization that is able to get things done, that’s able to win and it’s because of member power.”

The man in the scuffed jean jacket returned, asking for Doritos and a Coca-Cola, and Manuel walked with him into the gas station to buy them.

Back in the church sanctuary, Ramos revved up the audience.

“If you believe housing is a human right, say ‘Yeah!’” he shouted. “If you believe in a free Palestine and abolishing ICE, say ‘Hell yeah!’”

An AP-NORC poll conducted in September found that about one-quarter of U.S. adults consider themselves a supporter of democratic socialism, which is similar to how many say they back President Donald Trump's MAGA movement.

Democrats have warmed to the concept of socialism over the past 15 years, according to polling from Gallup. About two-thirds of them had a positive view of socialism in an August poll, up from 50% in 2010. Over the same period, Democrats have soured on capitalism. Only about one-third of them had a positive view of capitalism this year, down from about half in 2010.

Although Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has long identified as a democratic socialist, the DSA movement shifted up a gear after the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor a year ago. Months later, more such candidates won Democratic congressional primaries in New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Sitting at a folding table in a nearby communal room after his speech, Ramos said he tries to bring lofty and longer-term goals — housing for everyone, defunding the police — down to earth while running for office. For example, he talks about using city land for affordable housing or diverting police funding to mental health responders.

It's one way that Ramos tries to cut through the tumult over DSA's national platform, which includes doing away with the Senate, drafting a new constitution, taking steps toward abolishing police and prisons and, in the long run, “building a new society from the ground up" to create a “real democracy.”

Such goals have caused consternation in both parties. Republicans are dubbing the midterms as a choice between “common sense and communism,” while Democrats fret over voters recoiling from more radical ideas.

Meira “Gumbo” Vedros, co-chair of the Austin DSA chapter, tempered the idealism in an interview.

"Abolish is not ‘get rid of this and start from scratch,’” said Vedros, 29. And it's “not saying that we have the answers, but saying, ‘Hey, we know this is in the way of the working class having a better life, and we can find the answers together.'”

Not all DSA candidates subscribe to the entirety of the platform. And the contours of a socialist future are fuzzy, changing depending on who is asked. Debate continues among the members, facilitated by DSA chapters' own form of direct democracy, where everyone has a vote.

“Myself and most of the people I organize with don’t often think that we will live to see the fruits of our labor,” Vedros said, “and we don’t have a perfect idea of what an ideal society looks like. But we can ‘rehearse’ what we think would be better right now, and rehearse a better world by being better to each other."

As the church meeting ended, those gathered stood and sang together over a twangy rendition of “Solidarity Forever.”

This photo taken with a smartphone shows two members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mark Ramirez and Clarisse Manuel, during a day of canvassing Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jesse Bedayn)

This photo taken with a smartphone shows two members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mark Ramirez and Clarisse Manuel, during a day of canvassing Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jesse Bedayn)