A study comparing Boehringer Ingelheim's Flomax (tamsulosin hydrochloride) with a placebo found that the drug was better at alleviating the symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, a news source reports.

The drug, which is co-marketed with Abbott, is currently approved only for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The drug's U.S. sales in 2003 were $689 million.

The study of 57 men showed that Flomax provided improved symptomatic relief for patients suffering from moderate to severe prostatitis and that it had results equal to a placebo for those with mild to moderate symptoms, the news source says.