Topical Gel approved by the FDA for overactive bladder

This sounds like good news here, no pills to take to run through your body. Watson makes both name brand and generic drugs. You can also go here to view what is also in the pipeline and soon to be approved or nearing the end of clinical trials. So far there have been no side effects and actually since this is not in pill form, perhaps it might be a little safer without having to go through the liver and is only applied once a day, due out during the 2nd quarter of the year. BD

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leader in generic and specialty branded pharmaceuticals, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GELNIQUE(TM) (oxybutynin chloride) Gel 10%, the first and only topical gel for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency. The U.S. OAB market currently exceeds $1.8 billion annually and continues to grow each year.

GELNIQUE will provide OAB patients with an effective and novel alternative to currently available oral treatment options. Because the active ingredient in GELNIQUE is delivered transdermally, it is not metabolized by the liver in the same way as orally administered oxybutynin. This results in a low level of side effects, such as dry mouth and constipation. GELNIQUE will be actively marketed to physicians, and Watson anticipates that the product will be made available to patients in the second quarter of this year.

GELNIQUE is a quick-drying, clear and colorless, fragrance-free hydroalcoholic gel containing oxybutynin chloride, an antispasmodic agent. Applied once daily to the thigh, abdomen, upper arm or shoulder, a one-gram (approx. 1 mL) dose of 100mg/g GELNIQUE delivers a consistent dose of oxybutynin through the skin over a 24-hour period, providing strong efficacy without sacrificing tolerability.