More than 300,000 patients with life-destroying incontinence to receive breakthrough drug, free on the NHS

More than 300,000 patients with life-destroying incontinence are receiving a breakthrough drug that is significantly improving their ability to ‘hang in there’.

The daily pill, called vibegron, relaxes the bladder muscles, allowing more urine to be stored.

In new guidance published today by the Health Service regulator, the drug is recommended for adults suffering from overactive bladder (OAB).

Around 330,000 people in England are eligible for free treatment through the NHS.

OAB syndrome involves a sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control and may cause patients to wet their pants.

Officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have approved the drug vibegron, which is sold in the EU under the brand name Obgemsa and in the US under the brand name Gemtesa, for use in UK patients with overactive bladder syndrome

Symptoms may include a sudden need to empty the bladder, increased frequency of urination, and urinary incontinence.

The condition is relatively common in the elderly, but can also be caused by abdominal injury, infection, nerve damage, medications, and certain fluids.

It is believed that approximately 17 percent of adults (around five million) suffer from OAB to some degree, although vibegron will be offered to more severe cases that do not respond to other treatments.

The medicine that you take once a day in tablet form relaxes the bladder muscles, which means that you need to urinate less often.

Previous treatments for OAB were known as antimuscarinic drugs. These work by blocking signaling pathways in the nervous system.

The drugs can have side effects, such as extremely dry mouth, sore throat and palpitations, which can prevent some patients from taking them.

Officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this summer approved vibegron, which is sold in the EU under the brand name Obgemsa and in the US under the brand name Gemtesa, for use in UK OAB patients.

They based this approval on evidence from a clinical trial in which 1,500 patients with OAB took the drug for 12 weeks.

One-third of the group received the drug, the other two-thirds received a placebo or nothing.

The results showed that people taking Vibegron had to urinate less often and the number of ‘urgent attacks’ also decreased.

Vibegron does not work as a medicine, but relieves symptoms. Patients must therefore take it continuously to experience its effects.

The most common side effects of vibegron are diarrhea, constipation, nausea, urinary tract infections, and urinary retention, when the bladder does not empty completely after urination.

MHRA officials said that, as with all medicines they approve, they will continue to monitor their safety and effectiveness.

OAB is a condition in which people often experience sudden and uncontrollable urges to urinate, which can lead to soiling themselves and taking over their lives.

Women and older adults are generally at greater risk for OAB, partly because they are more likely to experience the problems that OAB can cause.

People with OAB may also suffer from a ‘learned’ habit that they developed when they had a condition that triggered the condition. This means that they may still suffer from symptoms years later.

Drinking fluids that can irritate the bladder, such as coffee, tea, cola and alcohol, and smoking can worsen OAB symptoms.

People with OAB may become socially isolated and withdrawn due to their fear of ‘leakage’. They may also feel anxious about leaving their home because they have easy access to a toilet.

Even people who overcome this problem may experience sleep problems because they have to urinate frequently during the night.

Patients with OAB are diagnosed by recording how often they urinate. Then, a series of tests are performed to determine the possible underlying cause.

Current NHS treatment options include bladder training to stretch the bladder so it can hold more urine, and medications to relax the organ’s muscles, similar to vibegron.

In some patients who do not respond to medications or experience intolerable side effects, an injection of Botox (botulinum toxin) may be offered to paralyze the muscles of the bladder.

In the same way that Botox is used cosmetically to paralyze facial muscles in an attempt to combat wrinkles, the mechanism relaxes the muscles of the bladder, allowing it to hold more urine.

According to the NHS, this treatment is effective in 85 percent of patients who undergo the treatment.

However, experts have previously warned that many people with OAB, especially older patients, do not seek help out of shame or mistakenly believe that incontinence is a natural consequence of aging.