An investigational medication designated TAS-303 shows efficacy and safety in treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), reports a placebo-controlled clinical trial in the August issue of The Journal of Urology® , an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. "Our study adds new evidence that TAS-303 reduces the frequency of incontinence episodes in women with SUI, without the worrisome adverse effects associated with the existing SUI medication duloxetine," comments Prof.
Momokazu Gotoh of Chukyo Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. Stress urinary incontinence – defined as leakage on exertion or with sneezing or coughing – is a common clinical problem, particularly in women. Recommended treatments include pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and surgery (mid-urethral sling procedure).
Currently, medication options for SUI are limited. Duloxetine – a type of medication called a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor – is approved for treatment of SUI in Europe, but not in the United States or Japan. That reflects concerns about adverse effects, including a risk of nausea causing patients to discontinue treatment.
Duloxetine has also been linked to a slightly increased risk of suicide or violence among patients with major depression. TAS-303 is a different class of medication – a highly selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor – that has been shown to increase .