Pfizer Introduces New Treatment And Support Plan For Patients With Overactive Bladder

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 04 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Pfizer Inc announced today that Toviaz™ (fesoterodine fumarate) extended release tablets and the YourWay™ plan (http://www.ToviazYourWay.com), a comprehensive, customizable support plan for overactive bladder patients, are available in the United States. Toviaz is a once-daily prescription treatment for patients with symptoms of overactive bladder, which include frequent and sudden urges to urinate and wetting accidents. Toviaz works by helping to calm the bladder muscle that causes frequent, sudden urges to urinate.

Overactive bladder affects an estimated 33 million Americans, yet remains under-treated. One possible reason for this is that patients may be embarrassed to discuss their overactive bladder symptoms with a physician and often develop coping strategies, such as planning "escape routes" to restrooms in public places, which allow them to delay seeking treatment.

"Given Pfizer's long heritage in the overactive bladder market with Detrol and Detrol LA, we understand that experiences and challenges with overactive bladder differ from patient to patient," said Olivier Brandicourt, president and general manager of Pfizer's Primary Care Business Unit. "To help address these challenges for both physicians and patients, Pfizer is proud to introduce Toviaz, which offers the flexibility of two efficacious doses to treat patients based on individual need, plus the innovative YourWay program."

The YourWay plan is a free, simple 12-week program designed to help physicians educate patients about their condition and treatment expectations, and to encourage and empower patients to become more engaged in their treatment. Developed in collaboration with experts in adherence, behavioral change, and patient education and communication, the YourWay plan includes four components:

- Learning how to make more informed diet choices
- Learning bladder training techniques, which may help patients wait longer between bathroom visits
- Tracking daily progress on the plan
- Learning how Toviaz works and what to expect from treatment with Toviaz and participation in the YourWay program

The basic YourWay plan is offered to patients who receive a Toviaz sample pack or prescription from their doctor. Patients also may enroll in the plan by calling 1-877-796-8792 or visiting http://www.ToviazYourWay.com.

Participants can choose to receive an added level of customized support from the YourWay plan:

- Personalized weekly e-mails
- A website that offers expert tips, advice and videos, and delivers appropriate content according to how far along a patient is in the 12 week plan
- Regular mailings and/or automated phone calls to help participants learn all about the plan and stay on track

"Behavior change is an important part of overactive bladder treatment, yet many overactive bladder patients don't receive behavioral intervention," said Dr. Pamela Ellsworth, associate professor of urology, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and consultant for the YourWay plan. "The YourWay plan is great news for patients because it emphasizes that change doesn't happen overnight, and can motivate patients with ongoing encouragement, realistic goals and tangible changes they can make each day."

Toviaz Provides Dosing Flexibility for Physicians, Patients

Toviaz is available in two efficacious doses, 4 mg and 8 mg, allowing dosing flexibility to optimize treatment based on the individual patient response and tolerability. Toviaz was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2008.

The approval of Toviaz was based on two large 12-week Phase 3 clinical studies that showed once-daily Toviaz can significantly reduce bothersome symptoms for 24 hours - all day and all night. The recommended starting dose of Toviaz is 4 mg once daily. Based upon individual response and tolerability, the dose may be increased to 8 mg once daily. Doses greater than 4 mg are not recommended in patients with severe renal insufficiency or in patients taking a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor; in patients taking a weak or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor, careful assessment at 4 mg is advised prior to increasing to 8 mg.

Toviaz treats the symptoms of overactive bladder (leaks, strong, sudden urges to go, going too often).

About Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder is a treatable medical condition associated with involuntary contractions of the bladder muscle, and is defined by urinary urgency (a sudden compelling desire to pass urine that is difficult to defer) with or without urgency incontinence (the involuntary leakage of any amount of urine, associated with or immediately preceded by urgency), usually with increased daytime urinary frequency and nocturia.

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