Yentreve (duloxetine hydrochloride), for women with severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI), works quickly to reduce the frequency of their incontinence episodes and improves their quality of life, according to a new data published in the September issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. All women enrolled in the study were awaiting continence surgery however, after eight weeks on Yentreve, 20 per cent of these patients reconsidered their willingness to undergo surgery.

This new, placebo-controlled, double blind, randomized study evaluated the efficacy of Yentreve in women with severe SUI, as determined by having an incontinence episode frequency of greater than 14 episodes per week and who were already scheduled to undergo continence surgery. One hundred and nine women aged 33 to 75 years were randomized either to placebo for eight weeks or to Yentreve 40 mg twice daily for the first four weeks and then increased to 60 mg twice daily for the next four weeks. The study was carried out in 14 clinical centres in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, release from Eli Lilly said.

SUI, the most common form of urinary incontinence in women that affects one in seven women, is the accidental leakage of urine during physical activities such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting or exercise.

"This study has important implications for clinical practice as it shows that Yentreve may provide an alternative to surgery for some women with stress urinary incontinence. We know that surgery is an effective option but it does not suit all women for a variety of reasons," Linda Cardozo, the study's principal investigator and professor of Urogynecology, King's College Hospital, UK said adding, "In addition, the knowledge that a non-surgical intervention exists may encourage more women to seek advice regarding their stress urinary incontinence."

Studies show that Yentreve is a balanced dual reuptake inhibitor of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that are believed to play key roles in the closure of the urethral sphincter, the muscle that - if weakened - can cause SUI. By increasing neurotransmitter concentration, Yentreve is believed to increase the tone and contraction of the urethral sphincter, which helps prevent accidental urine leakage, the release added.

In August 2004, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Yentreve throughout the European Union for the treatment of moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence in women. Yentreve is now available in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim will be making Yentreve available in many more European countries in the coming months.