Elsevier

Urology

Volume 62, Issue 2, August 2003, Pages 237-242
Urology

Adult urology
Comparative efficacy and safety of transdermal oxybutynin and oral tolterodine versus placebo in previously treated patients with urge and mixed urinary incontinence

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(03)00356-XGet rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

To compare the efficacy and safety of an oxybutynin transdermal delivery system (OXY-TDS) and oral, long-acting tolterodine (TOL-LA) with placebo in previously treated patients with urge or mixed urinary incontinence.

Methods

After withdrawal of their current antimuscarinic therapy, 361 adult patients were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind, double-dummy treatment with twice weekly OXY-TDS 3.9 mg/day, daily TOL-LA 4 mg, or placebo. Evaluations included change from baseline in patient urinary diary symptoms, incontinence-specific quality of life, and safety.

Results

OXY-TDS 3.9 mg/day and TOL-LA 4 mg/day significantly reduced the number of daily incontinence episodes (median change −3 OXY-TDS and −3 TOL-LA versus −2 placebo; P <0.05), increased the average void volume (median change 24 and 29 mL versus 5.5 mL, P <0.01), and improved quality of life (incontinence impact questionnaire [IIQ] total score, P <0.05; Urogenital Distress Inventory Irritative Symptom subscale, P <0.05) compared with placebo. The most common adverse event for OXY-TDS was localized application site pruritus (14% versus 4% placebo) accompanied by a low incidence of systemic side effects (eg, dry mouth 4.1%). Anticholinergic adverse events occurred with greatest frequency during TOL-LA treatment (dry mouth 7.3% versus 1.7% placebo, P <0.05).

Conclusions

OXY-TDS and TOL-LA are effective and comparable treatments for patients with urge and mixed incontinence. OXY-TDS improves systemic safety with regard to anticholinergic side effects. Local skin irritation occurs in some OXY-TDS patients.

Section snippets

Study population

The institutional review boards approved the study protocol, and all patients gave written informed consent. Patients eligible for inclusion included men and women at least 18 years of age taking current pharmacologic treatment for OAB. A beneficial response to the prestudy treatment was required, established only by patient report and investigator assessment of current treatment. After a washout period, the baseline, 3-day urinary diary requirements included four or more urge urinary

Results

A total of 361 patients were randomized to treatment, and 320 (89%) completed the double-blind period. The treatment groups were comparable with respect to demographic and disease characteristics and prior antimuscarinic treatment (Table I). The median duration of prior treatment was longer than 1 year (range 6 weeks to 20 years).

Treatment compliance with the assigned dosage regimen was 92%, with no specific reasons for lack of compliance. Transdermal systems adhered completely in 92% of

Comment

This study demonstrated comparable improvements in OAB symptoms between transdermal oxybutynin and long-acting tolterodine and the superiority of both treatments over placebo. The low overall incidence of anticholinergic side effects was a result of the requirement for beneficial prestudy antimuscarinic treatment, selectively excluding patients with intolerable side effects.

The improvement in incontinence episodes in the present study was comparable to the findings in previous reports during

Conclusions

The twice-weekly application of OXY-TDS was effective and safe and improved the quality of life during chronic treatment of patients with OAB. Efficacy was comparable to long-acting tolterodine and systemic safety, including anticholinergic adverse events, was improved compared with that of tolterodine. Local application site reactions, unique to transdermal treatment, should be expected to occur in some patients. These reactions are generally transient and self-limiting, mild to moderate

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This study was funded by Watson Pharma.

R. R. Dmochowski, P. K. Sand, N. R. Zinner, M. C. Gittelman, and G. W. Davila are study investigators funded by, and members of the medical advisory board to, the sponsor. S. W. Sanders is an employee of the sponsor.

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