UK's NICE recommends Astellas OAB drug Betmiga for NHS use

26 June 2013

The European subsidiary of Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) has had Betmiga (mirabegron) recommended for National Health Service use by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB).

In final guidance released today (June 26), the NICE said mirabegron is an option for treating the symptoms of OAB only for people in whom antimuscarinic drugs are contraindicated or clinically ineffective, or have unacceptable side effects.

The drug is a beta-3-adrenoceptor agonist, which activates beta-3-adrenoceptors causing the bladder to relax, which helps it to fill and also to store urine. The NICE said it will be administered orally and will be available as 25mg and 50mg tablets, with the recommended dose being 50 mg daily, and 25 mg if there is renal or hepatic impairment.

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