Effect of desmopressin with anticholinergics in female patients with overactive bladder

Efficacy and safety of desmopressin on frequency and urgency in female patients with overactive bladder and nocturia, current clinical features and outcomes: A systematic review

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Emerging drugs for overactive bladder

INTRODUCTION

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common problem which can have disastrous effects on the quality of life of the sufferer. There are established treatments for the problem but they have significant adverse effects. Better drugs and new treatment modalities are necessary to deal with OAB.

AREA COVERED

Antimuscarinics, mirabegron and intravesical injection of botulinum toxin A are established treatments for OAB. Sacral neuromodulation is more invasive but has been successful in treating OAB. Phase II and III trials are in progress for newer β3-agonists and various combinations of antimuscarinics, β3-agonists and antidiuretics. Targeted secretion inhibitors (TSI) can increase efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Liposome integrated botulinum toxin A has an advantage of effective administration by intravesical instillation. Both medicines are in Phase II trials. Many other drugs which have promising results are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Newer antimuscarinics have better tolerability. Long-term data for mirabegron has shown that it is more effective in severe OAB. Combination drugs may prove to be more effective with less adverse effects. Emerging treatments with TSI, lipotoxin and gene therapy appear promising.

Management of nocturia in the female

Nocturia is a common but overlooked lower urinary tract symptom that substantially reduces patient health and quality of life. Though traditionally viewed as occurring predominantly in males, nocturia has been found to be equally as prevalent in females. The recent emphasis on the importance of nocturia has resulted in a surge of research studies, providing a foundation for current and future management decisions. In this review, we describe the current recommendations for the female patient in light of the most recently published studies, including a unique interest in predicting treatment response.

Innovative pharmacotherapies for women with overactive bladder: where are we now and what is in the pipeline?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

The impressive prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) and the relevant limitations of current treatments urge the need for novel therapeutic approaches.

METHODS

A systematic literature and web search was performed to identify investigational drugs that entered the early and late phases of clinical development for women with OAB symptoms.

RESULTS

Approved pharmacological therapies for OAB (antimuscarinics, beta-3 agonists, and botulinum toxin) are evolving with the development of alternative administration methods, combination strategies, and novel compounds, expected to improve effectiveness, bladder selectivity, and dose flexibility. A wealth of investigational compounds, developed with both public and companies' indoor nonclinical disease-oriented studies, entered the early and late stages of clinical development in the last decade. Most non-anticholinergic compounds in ongoing clinical trials target central and peripheral neurotransmitter receptors involved in neurological modulation of micturition, nonadrenergic-noncholinergic mechanisms, cyclic nucleotide metabolism, different subtypes of ion channels or peripheral receptors of prostaglandins, vanilloids, vitamin D3, and opioids. Fascinating advances are ongoing also in the field of genetic therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

New pharmaceutical formulations and drug combinations are expected to be available in the next decade in order to overcome the limitations of current drugs for OAB. Although proof-of-concept, patient-oriented studies yielded disappointing results for several tentative drugs, a lot of clinical research is ongoing that is expected to provide clinicians with novel therapeutic agents in the near future.

Desmopressin for the treatment of female storage lower urinary tract symptoms

Female storage lower urinary tract symptoms are prevalent and bothersome. They are usually attributed to an overactive bladder and treated with antimuscarinics. Nevertheless, failure of conventional treatment to alleviate nocturia in particular and epidemiological data suggesting that nocturnal polyuria is the only or a contributing factor to nocturia, has attracted interest in decreasing nighttime urine production as a method of managing nocturia. A reduction in urine production could also, at least temporarily, delay daytime storage symptoms by delaying bladder filling. Therefore, desmopressin, the synthetic analogue or naturally occurring antidiuretic hormone, could have a role in the management of female frequency, urgency and urgency incontinence. This work aims to review data on the use of desmopressin in females with storage symptoms. Available evidence indicates that desmopressin is efficacious in reducing nighttime urine production and episodes of nocturia, resulting in fewer sleep interruptions. This translates into improved quality of life. Desmopressin is also effective in postponing micturition, urgency and incontinence for several hours after being taken on demand. The tolerability profile of desmopressin is good and significantly improved compared to historical figures due to the introduction of new oral formulations, tailoring the dose according to gender and age and adhering to instructions for fluid restriction before administration. The incidence of hyponatremia, desmopressin’s most important side-effect, is less than 3% in recent trials. The efficacy of desmopressin, combined with its improved safety profile, makes it an interesting method for treating female storage lower urinary tract symptoms.

Pharmacotherapy of overactive bladder in adults: a review of efficacy, tolerability, and quality of life

Introduction

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a prevalent condition that has a significant impact on quality of life. The usual treatment approach is both behavioral and pharmacological. The first-line pharmacological treatment commonly utilizes anticholinergic agents, which may be limited by their tolerability, efficacy, and long-term compliance. Developments in elucidating the pathophysiology of OAB and alternative targets for pharmacological therapy have led to newer agents being developed to manage this condition. These agents include mirabegron and botulinum toxin, which have alternate mechanism of action and avoid the anticholinergic side effects.

Objectives

To provide an update for clinicians managing OAB with an overview of the existing and newer medical options for OAB, including pharmacology, efficacy, side-effect profile, tolerability, and impact on patient quality of life.

Methods

PubMed and Medline were searched for randomized controlled drug trials in adults with OAB, meta-analyses of medical therapy for OAB, and individual drug names, including the keywords efficacy, tolerability, quality of life, and compliance. Nonhuman studies, pediatric trials, and those involving patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction (with the exception of studies involving botulinum toxin A) were excluded.

Results

There is level 1, Grade A evidence to support the efficacy of anticholinergic drugs, botulinum toxin, and mirabegron for OAB. Long-term compliance with anticholinergic medications is limited. The mechanism of action, effectiveness, and side effects of these drugs are discussed, and where the data are available compared with other OAB medications.

Conclusion

Most of the anticholinergic agents have comparative efficacies and core side-effect profiles, with individual variations relating to their muscarinic receptor selectivity, pharmacokinetics, and metabolism. Newer agents, with alternative sites of action, such as mirabegron and botulinum toxin, provide additional treatment options for patients intolerant to or inadequately treated with anticholinergics.