Study shows Avodart/Flomax combo more effective on enlarged prostate problems

PHILADELPHIA A new study that will be published in the Journal of Urology shows that men with enlarged prostates who took a combination of two medications, Avodart and tamsulosin hydrochloride, the generic version of the Astellas Pharma/Boehringer Ingelheim drug Flomax, experienced greater improvements in urinary symptoms than men prescribed either medication alone, according to published reports.

Over time, Avodart (dutasteride) shrinks the prostate, improves symptoms and arrests the enlarged prostate disease process. Tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker that relaxes the muscles in the bladder and prostate.

The study, entitled The Combination of Avodart and Tamsulosin, looked at male patients with moderate-to-severe enlarged prostate symptoms received a placebo for four weeks and then were randomized to receive Avodart and tamsulosin as combination therapy, for the remaining 24 months of the study.