Urigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of treatments for urological disorders and pain, announced that a recent epidemiological study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Medical School has demonstrated that Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) is a commonly occurring disorder amongst women, further supporting the company's focus on developing treatments for the condition.

The study, conducted by KL Lifford and GC Curhan, focused on prevalence rates of the disorder amongst a sample population of older women utilizing the Nurses' Health Study cohort. Participants were mailed a questionnaire inquiring as to the frequency of bladder or pelvic pain associated with urinary symptoms; women who responded indicating symptoms were sent a supplementary questionnaire detailing the severity of those symptoms, results of which were then screened to determine the prevalence of those individuals who reported symptoms consistent with PBS.

The study found that 51 per cent of women who responded that they had pain associated with urinary symptoms in the first questionnaire reported symptoms consistent with PBS, representing 2.3 per cent of the total sample population. Of that population, the results demonstrated that the prevalence of PBS was 1.7 per cent in those younger than 65 years of age, increasing progressively to 4 per cent in women age 80 or older. Severity of discomfort reported by patients demonstrating PBS symptoms indicated that the majority of those suffering from the disorder experience moderate to severe discomfort as a result of their condition. The study concluded that PBS is a common condition in women, the prevalence of which increases with age and results in the vast majority of sufferers reporting moderate to severe symptoms.

The study supports Urigen's focus on developing treatments for this painful condition which affects a significant portion of the population, representing a strong, commercially viable market. Urigen's portfolio of products designed to alleviate frequency and severity of symptoms associated with PBS ably position the Company to benefit from the large and growing market demonstrated to exist by the results of this research.

"The results from the Harvard Medical School study further validate our decision to enter this large market. We are excited by the Phase II data we have generated and the supportive intellectual property that has issued. We believe Urigen is well positioned to provide a solution to this problem that affects so many women," said Urigen CEO William Garner.

Urigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products for urological disorders.