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| |  Darifenacin Improves Symptoms in Patients Dissatisfied With Prior Treatment for Overactive Bladder: Presented at ICS By Jill Stein SAN FRANCISCO -- October 2, 2009 -- Darifenacin improves overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in patients who are not content with the results of prior antimuscarinic therapies, researchers announced here on October 1 at the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society (ICS). Diane Newman, RNC, MSN, Penn Center for Continence and Pelvic Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether patients dissatisfied with oxybutynin or tolterodine achieved meaningful improvement when switched to darifenacin. The researchers also aimed to determine how these benefits correlate with other parameters of treatment success. “Antimuscarinic drugs are commonly used for the treatment of OAB; however, treatment may fail in some patients because of noncompliance or discontinuation due to adverse effects or a lack of efficacy,” Newman said. “Such patients may benefit from switching to another antimuscarinic agent.” For the study, 437 patients who completed a 12-week open-label trial on the efficacy of darifenacin were asked at their final study visit if they would be willing to be interviewed by telephone to determine their satisfaction with darifenacin. Of the 72 patients who consented to a phone interview, 63 patients (87.5%), reported meaningful improvement in their overall bladder function with darifenacin therapy. Fifty-five of these 63 patients (87.5%) described their improvement as “extremely meaningful” or “very meaningful.” Patients who did report such benefits had statistically larger improvements in Patient’s Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) scores from baseline to week 12 in the open-label study compared with patients who did not report meaningful treatment benefits (P < .05). They also had a greater reduction in urgency episodes and instances of urge urinary incontinence episodes, and significantly greater overall satisfaction with treatment benefit and interest in continuing therapy. Participants who reported a meaningful clinical benefit also rated improvements in OAB symptom parameters as either extremely meaningful or very meaningful. Improvement in the ability to get a good night’s sleep and overall bladder function were highly correlated with interest in continuing therapy (P < .01). Funding for this study was provided by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals. [Presentation title: Darifenacin Provides Meaningful Improvements to Patients Dissatisfied With Oxybutynin or Tolterodine Therapy. Abstract 454]
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