Medtronic plc points to study results that say its InterStim™ system offers sustained long-term efficacy and quality of life improvements for overactive bladder (OAB) at five years.
Background
Nearly 1 in 6 Americans suffer OAB, an increasing number that makes the condition more common than diabetes or asthma.
The condition significantly impacts quality of life, yet 4.5 out of ten sufferers don’t seek treatment and as many as seven in 10 stop using medications within six months due to intolerable side effects or unsatisfying results.
InterStim therapy uses neuromodulation, or gentle nerve stimulation, to normalize the brain-bladder communication pathway, evidence suggesting that this is the culprit. InterStim targets the sacral nerves to help alleviate symptoms.
InterStim is thought to restore (≥50 percent reduction in dysfunctional voiding symptoms from baseline) bladder function by targeting the sacral nerves to help alleviate symptoms.
Results of the InSite study, which have been published online in the Journal of Urology, found that 82 percent of patients had therapeutic success at five years and sustained quality of life improvements. The study concluded that the InterStim system was a safe option for OAB sufferers.
Investigator comments
“Effective long-term bladder control is critical because OAB is a chronic condition that significantly impacts all aspects of a person’s quality of life, including confidence, activities and intimacy,” said Steven Siegel, M.D., primary investigator and director, Metro Urology Centers for Female Urology and Continence Care, Minneapolis, Minn. “Many struggle to find long-term relief and these results, which show the InterStim system offers sustained long-term efficacy, meaningful symptom reduction and quality of life improvements, offer new hope for those who suffer.”
Company comments
“The InterStim system has been an important treatment option for 20 years and is the only sacral neuromodulation treatment with five-year clinical data demonstrating sustained, long-term efficacy for the treatment of both OAB and fecal incontinence,” said Linnea Burman, vice president and general manager of the Pelvic Health & Gastric Therapies business, part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. “These data should give physicians and patients confidence that relief and restored quality of life are possible and we hope this will help encourage the many still suffering from bothersome OAB symptoms to seek help.”
Source: Medtronic, plc
published: July 18, 2017 in: Clinical Studies/Trials, Urology