Our Story

The story of CleopatraRX™ and PearlPAK™ was born out of thoughtful consideration to empower women to take control of their brain health during menopause.

CleopatraRX™ and Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D.

CleopatraRX™ came to life through the leadership of Rhonda R. Voskuhl, M.D., Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She holds the Jack Skirball Chair, is the Director of the UCLA MS program, faculty in the UCLA Brain Research Institute, and the neurologist for the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care program. Dr. Voskuhl has received national and international awards for her work in women’s health and multiple sclerosis, with over 200 publications including numerous in high impact scientific journals such as Nature, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Lancet Neurology. In addition to taking care of patients in the UCLA Neurology clinic, her laboratory does pre-clinical and clinical research to find treatments to prevent neurodegeneration. Dr. Voskuhl’s discovery of the effect of estrogen loss on cognition during menopause stemmed from her extensive research on cognitive function in women with multiple sclerosis.

MEET RHONDA R. VOSKUHL, M.D.

Rhonda R. Voskuhl, M.D. has spent her professional career dedicated to finding solutions in neurodegenerative diseases.

A Professor of Neurology at the University of California (UCLA), Dr. Voskuhl considers cognitive issues in the aging population as the greatest challenge of our generation. She has been recognized internationally for leading the field in addressing brain health issues related to menopause.

For over two decades, Dr. Voskuhl has served as a faculty member in the UCLA Brain Research Institute, executing pre-clinical and clinical research in the investigation of potential medical solutions for neurodegeneration. She has published numerous scientific articles in academic journals on this topic.

Her commitment and tenacity to helping women improve cognition and decrease brain atrophy during menopause led to the launch of PearlPAK™.

As a result of her extensive research, Dr. Voskuhl found an answer to fill the gap in cognitive deficits in menopausal women. See her recent publication in the prestigious journal Nature Communications (September 29, 2023).

It was during her years of research on cognitive decline and brain atrophy in women with multiple sclerosis that Dr. Voskuhl discovered that treatment with a novel estrogen could induce cognitive improvement and prevent atrophy of regions of the brain involved in cognition. She is the inventor on numerous UCLA patents in the U.S. and Europe, licensed by CleopatraRX, for her treatment to improve cognition in neurodegenerative conditions.

Estrogen normally protects the hippocampus region of the brain – the area of the brain responsible for memory and information processing. At the onset of menopause, estrogen sharply declines throughout the body with loss of stimulation of estrogen receptors that preserve brain health. This loss of estrogen can cause brain fog, hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Brain fog affects verbal memory and information processing speed.

PearlPAK™ is a unique solution. PearlPAK uses a different estrogen than what is in standard Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to reduce hot flashes, where estradiol is the estrogen used.

The estrogen in PearlPAK™ is estriol, and it binds differently to estrogen receptors as compared to estradiol. By binding to an estrogen receptor in the brain, estriol offers brain protection. Estriol is considered a safe form of estrogen. While estradiol binds strongly to the estrogen receptor expressed in the breast, estriol binds weakly to the estrogen receptor in breast. Indeed, estriol has been safely used by menopausal women throughout Europe and Asia for over four decades to reduce hot flashes.

Timing is important. Neurologists know that one must begin treatment early during mild cognitive impairment to prevent further cognitive deficits. Our goal is to offer treatment at the onset of ​perimenopause, with the hope of preventing cognitive decline and brain atrophy -before it happens.

We are deeply thankful to inventor Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D. for her long-term commitment and expertise in the research of cognitive health for women and men with multiple sclerosis and for women in menopause.

THE STORY OF CLEOPATRA

What’s in a name: CleopatraRX and PearlPAK?

Cleopatra, the Pharaoh of Egypt, was highly praised for her intelligence in science, philosophy, math, and debate. Fluent in nine languages, she broke boundaries as a female leader, even learning Egyptian to communicate with her armies.

As the story goes, Cleopatra bet Mark Antony that she could host the most expensive dinner ever served in the land. Initially, Mark was pleased. While the dinner appeared lavish, it was not enough to win the bet. Then, through Cleopatra’s knowledge of science, she knew that vinegar in wine would dissolve a pearl. So she removed her large pearl earing, placed it in her wine, and drank it, making this dinner indeed the most expensive ever served. Clever.

In the end, Cleopatra was both beautiful and SMART. This is the goal for women, applying science through PearlPAK by CleopatraRX!

Menopause is inevitable, but we have choices in how we manage the symptoms.

Together, we are on a mission…

…to empower women to take control of their menopause journey, and to feel confident having conversations with other like-minded and strong women who choose to control their health.

…to empower women to take control of their menopause journey, and to feel confident having conversations with other like-minded and strong women who choose to control their health.

Won’t you join us?