Paula Romero, a 19-year-old, shares her experience with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), contraceptive-based treatments, and the clinical trial Spiomet4health in an article for El Periódico.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common pathology among cases of female infertility, but there is no specific treatment for it. In 98% of cases, the solution offered to young women diagnosed with PCOS is oral contraceptives. However, these pills do not address the problem at its root and often come with unwanted side effects.
This was the case for Paula: her gynecologist prescribed seven different contraceptives. None yielded positive results; instead, they affected her physical and mental health. Consequently, Paula explored new alternatives to improve her quality of life, such as Spiomet4health.
The daily life of a young woman with PCOS
In the article, Paula shares how her daily life was affected by PCOS since being diagnosed in the second year of high school. Severe menstrual pain, irregular cycles (up to 6 months), mood swings, fluctuations in weight, and, above all, a significant lack of energy that made her “drag herself through the day” were among the challenges she faced.
Contraceptive pills had no effect. “I didn’t know what to do, and neither did my gynecologist,” she says. That’s why, when she learned about Spiomet4health, she didn’t hesitate to give the first treatment specifically focused on addressing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome a chance. “I thought: if it works, great, but if it’s not suitable for me, at least I will have participated to help women who may suffer from the syndrome in the future.” The vote of confidence paid off: Paula clearly notices the improvement in her physical and mental health.
Access the full article by El Periódico
Being part of the clinical trial
The experimental treatment of Spiomet4health consists of one tablet per day. The medication combines three drugs concentrated in a single pill and focuses on the primary cause of PCOS: excess “ectopic” fat, located in areas of the body where it shouldn’t be. The goal of the treatment is to redistribute this fat and then solve all the related problems, such as excessive body hair or acne.
In addition, patients have regular visits every 3 months to the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, where the progress of each participant is monitored. For Paula, the human and close contact with professionals throughout this process has been what defined her experience as part of the clinical trial. “No one had looked at me so closely in my life,” she notes.
In Spain, the Spiomet4health project is being carried out at the Sant Joan de Déu hospitals in Barcelona and Doctor Josep Trueta in Girona. However, the project, funded by the European Commission, also involves researchers from Denmark, Italy, Norway, and Turkey. Since its launch in 2021, they all share a clear objective: to find the first specific treatment for PCOS.