Below you will find news and press releases from industry, government, and academia regarding product developments and medical/scientific research news.
New Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) Classification for Women Proposed
Women seeking care for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) cluster into 4 distinct symptom groups that differ from conventional clinical diagnostic groups, investigators concluded. A team led by Victor P. Andreev, PhD, of Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan, conducted a cluster analysis using baseline urinary symptoms questionnaire data from 545 care-seeking women enrolled in the Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) Observational Cohort Study. They identified 4 clusters (F1 through F4). Women in cluster F1 did not report incontinence but experienced post-void dribbling, frequency, and voiding symptoms. Women in cluster F2 reported urgency incontinence as well as urgency and frequency and very minimal voiding symptoms or stress incontinence. Women in cluster F3 reported all types of incontinence, urgency, frequency, and very mild voiding symptoms. Women in cluster 4 report all LUTS at uniformly high levels. Read more.
Source: Renal & Urology News, July 23, 2018
Breakfast Television Montreal Host Has Unique Take on Potty Humour
Breakfast Television Montreal co-host Derick Fage has joked that doctors made him an asshole. Thing is, though, they did. He was born without one — the condition is known as a high imperforate anus — and, despite surgery to create an anal opening, he has contended all his life with fecal incontinence. That means, among other things, that if he goes to a restaurant, he makes sure to know where the washroom is — because if he needs it, he needs it right away. If he is, say, hosting a charity event, he’ll pop a couple of Imodium pills beforehand. Accidents at work are rare, but they happen. “Just a few weeks ago, I had a major accident live on the air.” He handed over to his co-host and left the set to clean up and change into the spare set of clothes he keeps at work. Today Fage, 48, speaks publicly about his condition in a bid to help others living with its challenges. In April at the Global Forum on Incontinence in Rome, he gave an eloquent and emotional address, last year in Laval he gave a TEDx talk, and he is an ambassador and champion for the Canadian Continence Foundation. Read more.
Source: Montreal Gazette, July 19, 2018
Government Agrees to Temporarily Ban Vaginal Mesh Implants for Women with Urinary Incontinence
The [UK] government has accepted a recommendation to temporarily ban vaginal mesh implants for women with urinary incontinence. The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review concluded there must be an immediate pause in the use of surgical mesh to treat stress-urinary incontinence (SUI) – a condition where urine leaks out when the bladder is under pressure. It comes after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ruled last year against vaginal mesh as a treatment for pelvic organ collapse, but stated devices could still be used to treat SUI and to repair hernias in men or women. Read more.
Source: Independent, July 9, 2018
Renewi, Essity Form Recycling Partnership in the Netherlands
International waste-to-product company, Renewi plc and Essity, a leading hygiene and health company, are developing an innovative solution for the processing of used baby nappies and incontinence materials from the care sector and municipalities in the Netherlands. Renewi and Essity, a producer of well-known branded products such as TENA and Libero, are developing a sustainable solution to recycle nappies and incontinence materials in an effort to reduce the amount of these products sent to incineration in the Netherlands each year. Currently, about 400,000 tons of absorbent products, between 5-8% of residual waste, is sent to incineration per year. The recycling of these nappies and incontinence materials would make a significant contribution to the ambitious goals of the Dutch government which aims to increase recycling rates for household waste to 75% in 2020 and to achieve a full circular economy without any waste by 2050. Read more.
Source: Nonwovens Industry, July 5, 2018
URO-1’s Repris System for Injecting Botox Into Bladder
URO-1, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, got FDA approval for its Repris Bladder Injection System. The product is designed for delivering Botox injections into the bladder as a treatment option for overactive bladder. The device, which is supposed to make such procedures easier on the physicians and more comfortable on the patients, will be unveiled at the American Urological Association in San Francisco later this month. Read more.
Source: Medgadget, May 9, 20218
Analytica Expands Clinical Indication for Its Unique Pelvic Floor Exercise Technology
Analytica Limited (ASX:ALT) has received clearance from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for the expanded clinical indication for its PeriCoach System to assist in the conservative treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). The PeriCoach system with its patent protected force sensing technology assists women to properly perform pelvic floor exercises. The expanded clinical indication for PeriCoach now includes targeted resolution of symptoms for mild to moderate POP, urinary incontinence and sexual wellness. Data suggests that 50% of women that have given birth have some degree of POP and half of women over 50 complain of prolapse symptoms. Estimates state women have a lifetime risk of up to 12% of undergoing a surgical intervention, with a re-operation rate of nearly 20%. Read more.
Source: Proactiveinvestors Australia, May 2, 2018
FDA Approves Myrbetriq Combo Treatment for Overactive Bladder
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Myrbetriq (mirabegron extended-release tablets; Astellas) in combination with the muscarinic antagonist solifenacin succinate for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. In clinical trials, the combination of Myrbetriq + solifenacin succinate was associated with greater improvements in the number of incontinence episodes per 24 hours (primary endpoint), the number of micturitions per 24 hours (primary endpoint), and the volume voided per micturition (secondary endpoint) compared to placebo or to individual active components. Long-term data also demonstrated that the effects of combination treatment were maintained throughout a 1-year treatment period. Read more.
Source: MPR, April 30, 2018