More than 300,000 patients with life-ruining incontinence to get breakthrough drug, free on the NHS READ MORE: High Street shops cynical price hikes on vital incontinence pads By Meike Leonard Published: 10:22 EDT, 8 August 2024 | Updated: 10:29 EDT, 8 August 2024 e-mail View comments More than 300,000 patients with life-ruining incontinence are set to receive a breakthrough drug that significantly boost the ability to 'hold on'. The daily pill, called vibegron, works by relaxing the bladder muscles, allowing it to store more urine. In new guidance published by the Health Service's regulatory body today, the medication was recommended for adults suffering with overactive bladder (OAB).
Around 330,000 people in England will be eligible to receive the treatment free on the NHS. OAB syndrome causes sudden urges to urinate that can be hard to control and can lead sufferers to soil themselves. Millions of Brits suffering from overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) could benefit from a new daily pill which has been greenlit by UK health officials (stock image) Officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave the drug vibegron, sold under the brand 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, urinating more frequently, and urinary incontinence.
The condition is relatively common amongst older adults but can also be caused by abdominal trauma, infection, nerve damage, medications and certain fluids. Around 17 per cent of adults — roughly five million — are believed to suffer with OAB to some degree, although vibegron will be offered to the more severe cases who fail to respond to other treatments. The once a day tablet drug works by relaxing the bladder muscles — thus reducing sudden urges to urinate.
Previous treatments for OAB were known as antimuscarinic medicines, which work by blocking signal pathways in the nervous system. The drugs can cause side effects including an extremely dry mouth, sore throat and palpitations, meaning some patients are unable to keep taking it. Officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave vibegron, sold under the brand Obgemsa in the EU and Gemtesa in the US, approval for use in British OAB patients earlier this summer.
They based this approval on evidence from a clinical trial that saw 1,500 patients with OAB taking the drug for 12 weeks. A third of the group got the drug, with the remaining two thirds split between getting a placebo or nothing. Results showed those that got vibegron reduced the overall amount people needed to urinate and also cut the number of 'urge episodes'.
Vibegron doesn't work as a cure but rather alleviates symptoms, meaning patients will need to take it continuously to enjoy its effects. The most common side effects of vibegron include diarrhoea, constipation, nausea and urinary tract infections, and urinary retention, when the bladder doesn't empty full after urination. MHRA officials said that, as standard with any medication they give approval too, they would continue to keep its safety and effectiveness under constant review.
OAB is where people frequently suffer a sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate that can lead them to soil themselves and can come to dominate their lives Women and older people are considered to generally more at risk of OAB, in part due to increased likelihood of suffering from the problems that can trigger it. Sufferers can also develop OAB as part of a 'learned' habit from when they had a condition that triggered it, meaning they can still have symptoms years later. Drinking fluids that can irritate the bladder, such as coffee, tea, colas and alcohol , as well as smoking, can exacerbate OAB symptoms.
People with OAB can become socially isolated and withdrawn due to their fear of 'leaks' becoming nervous about leaving their home where they have easy access to a toilet. Even those who overcome this can also suffer from problems like disturbed sleep due to repeatedly getting up in the night to urinate. Patients with OAB are diagnosed by tracking how frequently they urinate and then a series of tests to determine the potential underlying cause.
Current NHS treatment options include bladder 'training' to stretch the bladder, helping it hold more urine, medications to relax the muscles of the organ similar to vibegron. Some patients who don't respond to any medication, or suffer intolerable side effects, may be offered a Botox (botulinum toxin) injection to paralyze the muscles of the bladder. Much like how Botox is used cosmetically to paralyse face muscles in a bid to stop wrinkles, the mechanism relaxes the muscles of the bladder helping it hold more urine.
The NHS says this treatment is effective in 85 per cent of patients that undergo it. However, experts have previously warned many people with OAB, especially elderly patients, either don't seek help out of embarrassment or mistakenly consider incontinence a natural consequence of aging. Share or comment on this article: More than 300,000 patients with life-ruining incontinence to get breakthrough drug, free on the NHS e-mail Add comment.
