Allergan Inc.'s Botox Shot Helps Overactive Bladder in Women

A single injection of Allergan Inc. (AGN)’s Botox into a woman’s bladder reduces urinary incontinence as effectively as daily drugs and is better at resolving the problem, a U.S. government-funded study found. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests the medicine popularly used to fight wrinkles, migraines and muscle spasms may also be the first line of defense for some women who struggle with frequent urinary leakage. Women in the study getting Botox were more likely to develop infections, retain urine and need catheterization. Botox is approved to treat overactive bladder caused by neurological conditions such as a spinal cord injury, and many doctors give it without formal regulatory clearance to women with the more common problem of unexplained incontinence. The findings support use for the condition, which may gain U.S. approval next year and might generate $216 million in sales for the indication by 2015, said Larry Biegelsen, an analyst with Wells Fargo Securities in New York.

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