A drug-coated balloon treatment for urethral stricture disease: Interim results from the ROBUST I study.

We aimed to investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of the Optilume™ paclitaxel-coated balloon for the treatment of recurrent urethral stricture.

Men with bulbar urethral strictures ≤2 cm with 1-4 prior endoscopic treatments were enrolled at four study sites after Ethics Committee approvals. All subjects were treated with mechanical balloon dilation or direct visualization internal urethrotomy prior to drug-coated balloon treatment. Patients were evaluated at 2-5 days, 14 days, three, six, and 12-months post-treatment. The primary safety endpoint was serious complications through 90 days post-procedure. The preliminary efficacy endpoint was anatomic success, defined as urethral lumen ≥14 Fr at 12 months.

A total of 53 subjects were enrolled and treated; 46 completed the 12-month followup. Forty-three percent of men had undergone >1 previous dilation; the mean for the overall study population was 1.7 prior dilations. There were no serious adverse events related to the treatment within 90 days. Anatomic success was achieved in 32/46 (70%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 54-82%) at 12 months. The 14 failures included seven cystoscopic recurrences, five retreatments, and two patients who exited the study early due to symptom recurrence.

One-year data indicates the Optilume™ paclitaxel-coated balloon is safe for the treatment of recurrent bulbar urethral strictures. Early efficacy results are encouraging and support further followup of these men through five years, as well as further investigation with a randomized trial.

Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l'Association des urologues du Canada. 2020 Jan 20 [Epub ahead of print]

Ramon Virasoro, Jessica M DeLong, Rachel A Mann, Rafael E Estrella, Merycarla Pichardo, Ramon Rodriguez Lay, Gustavo Espino, Joshua D Roth, Sean P Elliott

Department of Urology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, United States., Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States., Clinica Union Medica, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic., URUS, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic., Cirujano Urology Royal Center Panama City, Panama., Centro Especializado San Fernando, Panama City, Panama.