[Selective estrogen receptor modulator].

SERMs (selective estrogen-receptor modulators) selectively act on various target tissues under estrogen influence as estrogen-agonists or antagonists. Following publication of an interim report from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized trial, SERMs have drawn considerable attention as agents of interest, in that they allow almost all beneficial effects of estrogen to be retained while at the same time avoiding the harmful side effects associated with HRT. In this regard, raloxifene is reported to act on bone as an estrogen-agonist as does HRT thereby contributing to a significant decrease in the incidence of osteoporotic fractures, while, in contrast, acting on the breast as an estrogen-antagonist unlike HRT to reduce the incidence of breast cancer, and its further role is expected in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Thus, SERMs are emerging as a class of versatile agents with great potential, and their indications are expected to widen with further research evidence.