Below you will find news and press releases from industry, government, and academia regarding product developments and medical/scientific research news.
Trendlines Gets Grant for Urinary Incontinence Device
Trendlines Labs is to receive a grant from the Singapore Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation for the development and clinical trial of its stress urinary incontinence (SUI) product, which is being developed in partnership with the Singapore General Hospital. The 50 women in the trial, expected to start mid-2017 at the hospital, will provide feedback on the product. The foundation will provide up to 50 percent of the $400,000 the partners need to fund the final product development and clinical trial. Trendlines Labs, the innovation arm of The Trendlines Group Ltd., the Israeli venture fund and tech accelerator firm, has developed a nonsurgical, non-pharmaceutical solution to mitigate SUI, a form of incontinence that affects approximately 15 million women in the US alone, according to the Women’s Health Foundation. SUI is caused by weak sphincter muscles or weak pelvic floors, and can occur when there is abdominal stress on the pelvic organs — the bladder, vagina, uterus, or rectum. Read more.
Source: Times of Israel, April 3, 2017
A Revolutionary Design in Pelvic Floor Weakness Treatment
It’s more common than hay fever, yet women just don’t talk about pelvic floor weakness, a condition resulting in intermittent urinary leakage. It affects one in three women in varying degrees of severity — 82% consider their symptoms severe, while 70% wear absorbent pads to deal with it. Yet, 68% of women never seek medical help. “Women are embarrassed. It’s called stress urinary incontinence and they associate the word ‘incontinence’ with old ladies being wet all the time,” says Dr Ruth Maher, an associate professor at the Department of Physical Therapy, Creighton University in Omaha. Maher is one of the original four inventors of recently launched innovotherapy, a non-invasive treatment for pelvic floor weakness. Innovotherapy directly targets pelvic floor weakness — the root cause of urinary leaks — unlike many other treatments which simply mask symptoms. Read more.
Source: The Irish Examiner, April 3, 2017
Drug Tied to Dementia Risk Overprescribed to Seniors: Study
A drug linked to a raised risk of dementia is taken by millions of older Americans who have an overactive bladder, researchers say. More than one-quarter of patients with the urinary problem had been prescribed the drug oxybutynin (Ditropan), an international team of investigators found. Yet, “oxybutynin is a particularly poor drug for overactive bladder in elderly patients,” said study lead author Dr. Daniel Pucheril, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Prior studies have linked the drug to thinking problems and increased risk of dementia in older people, possibly because of the way it affects brain chemicals, he said. “It’s a great and effective drug for younger patients, but is a risky drug for older patients,” Pucheril said. It boosts dementia risk even when not taken indefinitely, he said. Alternatives exist but they’re more expensive and may not be covered by insurance, at least initially, the study authors explained. Read more.
Source: HealthDay News, March 30, 2017
How a Ring of Titanium Beads Can Help Fecal Incontinence
A new device made up of magnetic titanium beads may help certain patients who have problems controlling their bowels, a condition called fecal incontinence. The Fenix® Continence Restoration System mimics the function of the anal sphincter. It is the newest treatment option available to certain patients who have fecal incontinence caused by childbirth complications, trauma, prior surgeries, anal sex or another cause of muscle and nerve damage. Read more.
Source: Cleveland Clinic, March 9, 2017
New System Uses Remote Medical Monitoring, Mobile Games to Improve At-Home Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Urinary incontinence is any involuntary urine leakage. It is a condition that can be more or less severe and it affects one in three women of all ages, which is more than 56 million people in Europe and more than 350 million people in the world. It is not a normal part of ageing and has a negative impact on the quality of life of the women who suffer from it. The main risk factors for urinary incontinence are pregnancy and childbirth, overweight and obesity, and high-impact sports. There are several treatments to improve or cure its symptoms, depending on the type of incontinence, and it can also be prevented by taking measures before it appears. One approach that has proven effective in preventing and treating stress urinary incontinence is pelvic floor muscle training. It consists of a programme of contraction and relaxation exercises for the muscles that form the base of the pelvis. If the treatment is followed and performed correctly with the supervision of a therapist, the rate of cure/improvement may reach 70% .Read more.
Source: News-Medical.net, March 9, 2017
FDA Approves First Treatment for Frequent Urination at Night Due to Overproduction of Urine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Noctiva (desmopressin acetate) nasal spray for adults who awaken at least two times per night to urinate due to a condition known as nocturnal polyuria (overproduction of urine during the night). Noctiva is the first FDA-approved treatment for this condition. “Today’s approval provides adults who overproduce urine at night with the first FDA-approved therapeutic option to help reduce the number of times a night they wake up to urinate,” said Hylton V. Joffe, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of the Division of Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is important to know that Noctiva is not approved for all causes of night-time urination, so patients should discuss their symptoms with their health care provider who can determine the underlying cause of the night-time urination and whether Noctiva is right for them.” Read more.
Source: US FDA, March 3, 2017
HARTMANN Group to Acquire P&G Incontinence Brand in Spain/Portugal
The HARTMANN GROUP, a leading international supplier of medical and hygiene products, announced today it plans to acquire Procter & Gamble’s Lindor — one of the most well-known adult incontinence brands in the Spain and Portugal professional channel. The transaction seeks to take place by end of second quarter of fiscal year 2017 and is subject to approval by local antitrust authorities. As part of the agreement, HARTMANN is slated to obtain all P&G assets associated with the Lindor product portfolio (Lindor, Salvacamas, Lindor Care, Lindor Pants), Intellectual Property, contracts with employees, as well as a 25,000-square metre manufacturing facility in Montornés, Spain. Read more.
Source: Yahoo Finance, March 2, 2017