Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (P&GP), a division of The Procter & Gamble Company, have entered into an agreement for the co-promotion and further development of Enablex (darifenacin) extended release tablets for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) in the United States. Novartis will continue to record revenues for Enablex and will pay royalties to P&GP based on the product's performance.

Alex Gorsky, chief operating officer, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation says, "Combining P&GP's and Novartis' knowledge of the consumer will increase our ability to meet the unique needs of the 33 million Americans living with OAB. This collaboration will result in the creation of an expanded sales force and additional resources that will allow us to reach more physicians and their patients."

OAB is a condition marked by the strong, immediate need to go to the bathroom (urgency), desire to go to the bathroom quite often (frequency), and involuntary loss of bladder control (incontinence). Enablex is a potent muscarinic receptor antagonist that helps reduce incontinence episodes, increases the amount of urine the bladder can hold, reduces the frequency of urination episodes and decreases urgency.

At least 16 per cent of the population over the age of 40 suffers from the chronic and troublesome symptoms of OAB.