Efficacy and safety of two doses of tolterodine versus placebo in patients with detrusor overactivity and symptoms of frequency, urge incontinence, and urgency: urodynamic evaluation

Summary

Tolterodine is a new competitive muscarinic receptor antagonist developed for the treatment of the unstable bladder. A total of 242 patients were enrolled in a multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted over a period of 4 weeks in patients with detrusor overactivity and symptoms of frequency, urgency, and urge incontinence. The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of tolterodine given at 1 or 2 mg b.i.d. versus placebo. At week 4 a statistically significant increase in the volume at first contraction (p = 0.030) and maximal cystometric capacity (p = 0.034) was only in the tolterodine 2 mg b.i.d. group. Tolterodine was safe and generally well tolerated. The incidence of dry mouth, as the most commonly reported adverse event, was only 9% and of mild to moderate intensity.