Pharmacotherapeutic group: Urologicals, Drugs for urinary frequency and incontinence, ATC code: G04BD08.
Mechanism of action
Solifenacin is a competitive, specific cholinergic-receptor antagonist.
The urinary bladder is innervated by parasympathetic cholinergic nerves. Acetylcholine contracts the detrusor smooth muscle through muscarinic receptors of which the M3 subtype is predominantly involved. In vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies indicate that solifenacin is a competitive inhibitor of the muscarinic M3 subtype receptor. In addition, solifenacin showed to be a specific antagonist for muscarinic receptors by displaying low or no affinity for various other receptors and ion channels tested.
Pharmacodynamic effects
Adults:
Treatment with Vesicare in doses of 5 mg and 10 mg daily was studied in several double blind, randomised, controlled clinical trials in men and women with overactive bladder.
As shown in the table below, both the 5 mg and 10 mg doses of Vesicare produced statistically significant improvements in the primary and secondary endpoints compared with placebo. Efficacy was observed within one week of starting treatment and stabilises over a period of 12 weeks. A long-term open label study demonstrated that efficacy was maintained for at least 12 months. After 12 weeks of treatment approximately 50% of patients suffering from incontinence before treatment were free of incontinence episodes, and in addition 35% of patients achieved a micturition frequency of less than 8 micturitions per day. Treatment of the symptoms of overactive bladder also results in a benefit on a number of Quality of Life measures, such as general health perception, incontinence impact, role limitations, physical limitations, social limitations, emotions, symptom severity, severity measures and sleep/energy.
Results (pooled data) of four controlled Phase 3 studies with a treatment duration of 12 weeks
| | Placebo | Vesicare 5 mg o.d. | Vesicare 10 mg o.d. | Tolterodine 2 mg b.i.d. |
| No. of micturitions/24 h | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean reduction from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 11.9 1.4 (12%) 1 138 | 12.1 2.3 (19%) 552<0.001 | 11.9 2.7 (23%) 1 158<0.001 | 12.1 1.9 (16%) 2500.004 |
| No. of urgency episodes/24 h | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean reduction from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 6.3 2.0 (32%) 1 124 | 5.9 2.9 (49%) 548<0.001 | 6.2 3.4 (55%) 1 151<0.001 | 5.4 2.1 (39%) 2500.031 |
| No. of incontinence episodes/24 h | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean reduction from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 2.9 1.1 (38%) 781 | 2.6 1.5 (58%) 314<0.001 | 2.9 1.8 (62%) 778<0.001 | 2.3 1.1 (48%) 1570.009 |
| No. of nocturia episodes/24 h | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean reduction from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 1.8 0.4 (22%) 1 005 | 2.0 0.6 (30%) 4940.025 | 1.8 0.6 (33%) 1 035<0.001 | 1.9 0.5 (26%) 2320.199 |
| Volume voided/micturition | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean increase from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 166 ml 9 ml (5%) 1 135 | 146 ml 32 ml (21%) 552<0.001 | 163 ml 43 ml (26%) 1 156<0.001 | 147 ml 24 ml (16%) 250<0.001 |
| No. of pads/24 h | | | | |
| Mean baseline Mean reduction from baseline % change from baseline n p-value* | 3.0 0.8 (27%) 238 | 2.8 1.3 (46%) 236<0.001 | 2.7 1.3 (48%) 242<0.001 | 2.7 1.0 (37%) 2500.010 |
Note: In 4 of the pivotal studies, Vesicare 10 mg and placebo were used. In 2 out of the 4 studies also Vesicare 5 mg was used and one of the studies included tolterodine 2 mg bid.
Not all parameters and treatment groups were evaluated in each individual study. Therefore, the numbers of patients listed may deviate per parameter and treatment group.
* P-value for the pair wise comparison to placebo.
Paediatrics:
Overactive bladder
Children and adolescents (age 5 years and older):
Treatment with Vesicare oral suspension was studied in two clinical studies. A 12-week double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial (905-CL-076) was performed in 189 paediatric patients with OAB (73 children aged 5 to 11 years and 22 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were treated with solifenacin). This was followed by a 40-week long-term open-label extension study (905-CL-077) in 148 paediatric patients (119 children and 29 adolescents were treated with solifenacin). In both studies, the majority of patients were up-titrated to the weight-based equivalent of 10 mg in adults.
In study 905-CL-076, Vesicare oral suspension did not show a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of mean volume voided per micturition compared with placebo in the overall population.
In children (aged 5 to 11 years) a statistically significant difference was observed for this primary endpoint. No statistically significant improvement was observed in the secondary endpoints of micturition frequency, number of incontinence episodes per day and number of dry days per week. No unexpected or unlisted adverse events were reported for the entire dose range tested.
In the open-label extension study, no unexpected or unlisted adverse events were reported. The safety profile for solifenacin in paediatric patients during long-term exposure was comparable to that observed in adults.
Neurogenic detrusor overactivity
Children and adolescents (age 6 months to less than 18 years):
Vesicare oral suspension was evaluated in two 52-week, open-label, baseline-controlled, sequential dose titration studies for the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in paediatric patients aged 6 months to less than 18 years (studies 905-CL-074 and 905-CL-047).
In study 905-CL-074, a total of 4 subjects aged 6 months to less than 2 years and 19 subjects aged 2 to less than 5 years of age received treatment with Vesicare oral suspension, while in study 905-CL-047, a total of 76 subjects aged 5 to less than 18 years of age received treatment with Vesicare oral suspension.
In both studies the primary endpoint was the change from baseline in maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) after 24 weeks of Vesicare oral suspension treatment. Children treated with Vesicare oral suspension had a statistically significant increase in MCC compared with baseline after 24 weeks of treatment. The magnitude of the observed changes in both the primary and secondary endpoints in children (5 to less than 12 years of age) and in adolescents (12 to less than 18 years of age) was comparable.
The results for the primary endpoint in the clinical studies of Vesicare oral suspension in pediatric patients with NDO are reported in the table below. Treatment effects were maintained over 52-weeks.
Change from Baseline to 24 Weeks for Vesicare oral suspension
| Parameter | Aged 6 months to Less than 5 Years Mean (SD, n) | Aged 5 to Less than 18 Years Mean (SD, n) |
| Primary Endpoint |
| Maximum Cystometric Capacity (ml) |
| Baseline Week 24 Change from baseline | 92.3 (38.2, 21) 129.4 (40.2, 21) 37.0 (35.9, 21) P = <0.001 95% CI: 20.7, 53.4 | 223.7 (132.9, 55) 279.1 (126.8, 49) 57.2 (107.7, 49) P = <0.001 95% CI: 26.3, 88.1 |
Secondary urodynamic measurements also demonstrated an improvement from baseline to 24 weeks in both age groups. In subjects aged 6 months to less than 5 years of age, bladder compliance increased (mean change: 5.1 ml/cmH2O; SD: 6.82; 95% CI: 2.0, 8.2), number of overactive contractions >15 cmH2O decreased (mean change: -7.0; SD: 8.6; 95% CI: -11.0, -3.1) and bladder volume until first detrusor contraction > 15 cmH2O, expressed as % of expected bladder capacity, improved (baseline median: 38.00%; week 24 median 99.89%). In subjects aged 5 to less than 18 years of age, bladder compliance increased (mean change: 9.1 ml/cmH2O; SD: 28.6; 95% CI: 1.0, 17.2), number of overactive contractions >15 cmH2O decreased (mean change: -2.3; SD: 5.1; 95% CI: -3.7, -0.8) and bladder volume until first detrusor contraction >15 cmH2O, expressed as % of expected bladder capacity, improved (baseline median: 28.25%; week 24 median 58.28%).
Additional diary-based measurements demonstrated improvement from baseline to 24 weeks in both age groups. In subjects aged 6 months to less than 5 years of age, the average maximum catheterized volume per day increased (mean change: 40.3 ml; SD: 50.0; 95% CI: 16.2, 64.4), and average number of periods between clean intermittent catheterisations with incontinence episodes per 24 hours decreased (mean change: -1.31; SD: 1.35; 95% CI: -1.99, -0.64). In subjects aged 5 to less than 18 years, the average maximum catheterized volume per day increased (mean change: 67.45 ml; SD: 88.07; 95% CI: 42.68, 92.22) and the average number of incontinence episodes per 24 hours decreased (mean change: -1.60; SD: 2.04; 95% CI: -2.18, -1.03).
The treatment with Vesicare oral suspension in children and adolescents was well-tolerated at all dose levels. No new safety concerns were identified compared with the known safety profile of solifenacin in adults.
There is no clinical study data available beyond one year in treatment of NDO in children and adolescents.
There is insufficient clinical experience in paediatric patients with NDO less than 2 years of age. Clinical studies have not been conducted in paediatric patients with NDO less than 6 months of age.