Long-term durability of the response to desmopressin in female and male nocturia patients - Abstract

AIMS:To explore the durability of efficacy and gender differences during chronic administration of desmopressin in nocturia.

METHODS:This pooled analysis of three short-term efficacy studies, with extensions, of desmopressin administered as orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) or solid tablet in nocturia treatment, comprised 351 patients completing 40-56 weeks' treatment. Efficacy endpoints of change in number of nocturnal voids and duration of initial undisturbed sleep period from baseline were analyzed to determine response durability and gender differences.

RESULTS:The mean decrease in number of nocturnal voids during short-term treatment was maintained and further reduced during the long term. At 52 weeks, the mean decrease in number of nocturnal voids from baseline reached 1.4-2.1 voids for desmopressin ODT 25-100 µg. Following 40-week tablet treatment, the decrease in number of nocturnal voids was 0.8-1.5 for desmopressin 100-400 µg. The mean decrease in nocturnal voids (25-50 µg ODT) was greater for females than males. For females, the improvement in initial period of undisturbed sleep was 2.5-3 hr for desmopressin ODT 25-100 µg, compared with 1.3-2.6 hr for males. No gender difference in efficacy was seen in the tablet studies.

CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in nocturnal voids and improvement in sleep with short-term desmopressin treatment were maintained throughout long-term treatment. A durable gender difference in efficacy in favor of females was observed with desmopressin ODT 25 µg. Further, large-scale long-term trials are needed to confirm the durability of efficacy with gender-specific doses of desmopressin.

Written by:
Juul KV, Klein BM, Nørgaard JP.   Are you the author?
Ferring International PharmaScience Center, Copenhagen S, Denmark.

Reference: Neurourol Urodyn. 2012 Sep 12. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1002/nau.22306


PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22972524

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