Source: J Am Coll Cardiol  |  Posted 6 years ago

By Mike Fillon

ATLANTA, GA -- September 20, 2005 -- Solifenacin appears to significantly reduce episodes of incontinence and increase the number of continent patients compared to tolterodine extended release (ER) for patients with symptoms of over active bladder for 3 months or more.

Solifenacin and tolterodine are anticholinergic agents that relax the bladder muscles to prevent urgent, frequent, or uncontrolled urination. The results, presented as a poster here on September 15[^]th[] at the 26[^]th[] Annual Scientific Meeting of The American Urogynecologic Society here in Atlanta (AUGS).

Lead investigator Christopher R. Chapple, MD, Consultant Urologist, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, United Kingdom, presented the results of the STAR study on the behalf of the European Association of Urology (EAU), Istanbul, Turkey.

The study compared the flexible dosage regimen of solifenacin 5 mg and 10 mg, and the 4 mg recommended dosage of tolterodine ER. The multinational, multicenter, randomized, prospective, double-blind, two-arm study was conducted over a 12-week active treatment period. The mean age of the participants was 56.4 years and 86.8% were women.

Following a 2-week, single-blond, placebo run-in, patients were randomized to antimuscarinic starting doses. Of the 1,200 patients enrolled, 593 took solifenacin and 707 took tolterodine.

At the end of the treatment period, the researchers found that solifenacin was superior to solifenacin ER in decreasing incontinence episodes (P = .0059), urge incontinence (P = .001), and pad usage (P = .0023).

A significantly (P = .0059)greater percentage of patients became continent dry after treatment with solifenacin (58.7%) compared to tolterodine (48.9%.). In addition, a greater percentage of patients (74.1%) treated with solifenacin compared with those on tolterodine (66.5%) showed a 50% reduction in incontinence episodes.

Patients treated with solifenacin reported greater improvements in their perceptions of their bladder conditions than those who took tolterodine (P = .0061.). Side effects, including dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision, were comparable with both treatments.

"The STAR study demonstrates that solifenacin offers superior efficacy on many of the key parameters of [overactive bladder] syndrome," Dr. Chapple concluded.

[Presentation title: Solifenacin Significantly Reduced Incontinence Episodes and Increased the Percentage of Continent Patients Compared to Tolterodine ER in an Overactive Bladder Study (STAR). Poster 33]