A new menopause drug could dramatically cut hot flushes and sleeplessness in just three days, scientists say.

Scientists hailed the results as “game-changing,” holding out hopes for a new alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Research by Imperial College London found that the drug compounds, tested on menopausal women, cut the number of hot flushes by almost three quarters.

And women taking the drugs reported an 82 per cent decrease in sleep interruptions, and a 77 per cent drop in lost concentration.

Each year around 1.5 million women experience menopausal symptoms, including 400,000 who suffer them to a troublesome extent.

But many shun HRT, because it has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer and blood clots.