The famous wrinkle reducer, Botox, has recently received agreement from 14 nations of the EU that it will be able to be used for the treatment of patients suffering from urinary incontinence. The Irish Medicines Board recommended that Botox get approval for use as a treatment for urinary incontinence for adults who have multiple sclerosis or have suffered a spinal cord injury.
The EU has a procedure for mutual recognition and there were several reference members, including Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Germany. Phase 3 trials were conducted amongst almost 700 patients with MS or SCI who were not able to have their problem managed with other anticholinergic therapies, including Detrol, developed by Pfizer, Ditropan by Johnson and Johnson and Vesicare by GlaxoSmithKline.
Injecting Botox into patients’ bladders showed increased capacity and a reduction in involuntary contractions. Treatment generally became effective within two weeks and lasted for up to ten months. “The study showed that patients had a marked reduction in regularity of leakage, compared to those being injected with a placebo,” says Allergan a US group.
Allergan also notes that up to 80% of those with MS or SCI suffer from bladder dysfunction, and out of the 650,000 people with MS in Europe around 11,000 receive an SCI diagnosis every year. The president of Allergan for the Middle East, Africa and Europe states that, “for patients, controlling the bladder is an important step to having a better life. Now we will work with the national health services in Europe to get the appropriate licences.”
Botox sales rose to nearly $420 million, a 15% increase over the previous quarter. The drug is Allergan’s highest earner and most of these sales are for its wrinkle reducing properties. Botox does however have several other uses, such as treating migraines and facial spasms.
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Botox is now entering the medical scene. It’s also used to treat other disorders like hyperhydrosis. Using it as treatment for urinary incontinence will be a big help to a lot of people specially the seniors.