More than 300,000 patients with urinary incontinence will receive an innovative drug that will significantly increase their ability to “hold it.”
The daily pill, called vibegron, works by relaxing the muscles in your bladder, allowing it to store more urine.
In new guidance published today by the NHS regulator, the drug has been recommended for adults suffering from overactive bladder (OAB).
Around 330,000 people in England will be eligible for the free treatment through the NHS.
Overactive bladder syndrome causes sudden urges to urinate that can be difficult to control and can lead sufferers to soil themselves.
Millions of Britons suffering from overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) could benefit from a new daily pill that has been given the green light by UK health authorities (file image)
Officials at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have given the drug vibegron, sold under the brand name Obgemsa in the EU and Gemtesa in the US, approval for use in British patients with overactive bladder syndrome.
Symptoms may include a sudden need to empty the bladder, increased urination, and urinary incontinence.
The condition is relatively common among older adults, but can also be caused by abdominal trauma, infection, nerve damage, medications, and certain fluids.
It is thought that around 17 per cent of adults (approximately five million) suffer from overactive bladder to some degree, although vibegron will be offered for more severe cases that do not respond to other treatments.
This medication, taken once a day, works by relaxing the muscles in the bladder, which reduces the sudden urge to urinate.
Previous treatments for VAH were known as antimuscarinic medications, which work by blocking signaling pathways in the nervous system.
The medications can cause side effects including extremely dry mouth, sore throat and palpitations, meaning some patients cannot continue taking them.
Officials at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave vibegron, sold under the brand name Obgemsa in the EU and Gemtesa in the US, approval for use in British patients with VAH earlier this summer.
They based this approval on evidence from a clinical trial in which 1,500 patients with VAH took the drug for 12 weeks.
One-third of the group received the drug, and the remaining two-thirds were split between receiving a placebo or nothing.
The results showed that those who received vibegron reduced the total amount they needed to urinate and also reduced the number of “urgency episodes.”
Vibegron does not work as a cure, but rather relieves symptoms, meaning patients will need to take it continuously to enjoy its effects.
The most common side effects of vibegron include diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and urinary tract infections and urinary retention, when the bladder does not empty completely after urination.
MHRA officials said that, as is usual with any drug they approve, they will continue to constantly review its safety and efficacy.
VAH is a condition in which people frequently experience a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate, which can lead to soiling and even take over their lives.
Women and older people are generally considered to be at higher risk for overactive bladder, partly because they are more likely to experience the problems that can trigger it.
Patients may also develop VAH as part of a “learned” habit from when they had a condition that triggered it, meaning they may still have symptoms years later.
Drinking liquids that can irritate the bladder, such as coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, and alcohol, as well as smoking, can exacerbate the symptoms of overactive bladder.
People with VAH may become socially isolated and withdrawn due to their fear of “leaking” and become nervous about leaving their home where they have easy access to a bathroom.
Even those who overcome this may still suffer from problems such as sleep disturbance due to repeatedly getting up during the night to urinate.
Patients with VAH are diagnosed by keeping track of how often they urinate and then undergoing a series of tests to determine the possible underlying cause.
Current NHS treatment options include bladder ‘training’ to stretch the bladder and help it hold more urine, and medications to relax the muscles of the organ similar to vibegron.
Some patients who do not respond to any medication or experience intolerable side effects may be offered a Botox (botulinum toxin) injection to paralyze the bladder muscles.
Much like how Botox is used for cosmetic purposes to paralyze facial muscles in an attempt to stop wrinkles, the mechanism relaxes the bladder muscles and helps it hold more urine.
The NHS says the treatment is effective in 85 per cent of patients who undergo it.
However, experts have previously warned that many people with VAH, especially older patients, do not seek help out of embarrassment or mistakenly view incontinence as a natural consequence of aging.