The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved GlaxoSmithKline(NYSE:GSK) Avodart in combination with tamsulosin for the treatment of symptomatic enlarged prostate.
Enlarged prostate is a disease that affects 50% of men over the age of 50 and 90% of men over the age of 80. The disease causes changes in urinary habits and over time the prostate can continue to enlarge and the bladder can loses its ability to empty itself.
Avodart was previously approved, by the FDA, for the treatment of enlarged prostate to reduce the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) and reduce the possibility of prostate related surgery. Tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker that is used in the treatment of enlarged prostate.
The new indication for Avodart is based on new research showing that the two medications combined treat the symptoms of enlarged prostate more effectively than either monotherapies.
"The combination of AVODART and tamsulosin at diagnosis allows doctors to simultaneously treat the patient's prostate on two fronts by reducing prostate size and rapidly improving symptoms," said Steven A. Kaplan, M.D., from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in New York City.
[Source: Medical News Today]
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