Study results find that Vesicare has lower incidence of specific side effect

CHICAGO Patients with overactive bladder who received the drug Vesicare reported lower incidence of dry mouth than those who received an immediate-release formulation of the generic drug oxybutynin, according to a new study presented at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in Chicago Tuesday.

“Findings from the VECTOR study are very encouraging,” University of Toronto urology professor Sender Herschorn said in a statement. “The fact that some patients discontinue treatment for OAB because of intolerable side effects counters our best efforts to encourage them to seek treatment which could improve their quality of life.”

The VECTOR study compared the tolerability and efficacy of Vesicare (solifenacin) with oxybutynin IR for the treatment of overactive bladder. The study enrolled 132 adults from various locations in Canada who had symptoms of OAB for three months or longer.

Oxybutynin is the generic name of Johnson & Johnson’s Ditropan, originally approved in the 1970s.

Vesicare is manufactured by Astellas Pharma.