FDA approves VESIcare LS for pediatric patients

Shares of Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) were up 3.1% at 1,874 yen today, after the Japanese pharma major revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration had approved VESIcare LS (solifenacin succinate) oral suspension for the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in pediatric patients aged tw years and older.

Patients with NDO may experience involuntary bladder contractions, which can lead to symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence. Spina bifida, a congenital spinal cord defect, is a common cause of NDO in children.2

"Treatment options for children with neurogenic detrusor overactivity are limited," said Salim Mujais, senior vice president and head, Medical Specialties, Astellas. "As part of Astellas' commitment to advancing treatment options for urologic conditions, we are now able to offer children with NDO a new, non-invasive option," he noted.