Alora® (estradiol patch) is a prescription hormone replacement medication that contains estrogen. It comes as a patch that is applied to the skin twice weekly. Alora is approved for the following uses:
- Preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
- Treating menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness
- Replacing hormones in younger women whose ovaries do not produce enough estrogen (or who have had their ovaries removed).
(Click Alora Uses for more information on what the drug is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Alora is made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Alora contains estradiol, one of several different estrogen hormones. Estradiol is the predominant estrogen in premenopausal women, and the estradiol in Alora is identical to the kind naturally made by the body. Alora helps to relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing the estrogen that the ovaries no longer produce. Because estrogen helps to keep the bones strong, the decrease in estrogen during
menopause causes a significant weakening of the bones, often resulting in osteoporosis. By providing estrogen, Alora can help prevent these menopause-related bone changes.