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Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy, tolerability and safety of the new antimuscarinic agent fesoterodine relative to placebo for overactive bladder syndrome., Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, multicenter trial performed in the United States. Overall 836 subjects with urinary frequency, urinary urgency or urgency urinary incontinence were randomized to placebo (274), 4 mg fesoterodine (283) or 8 mg fesoterodine (279) once daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was the change in the number of micturitions per 24 hours. Co-primary end points were the change in the number of urgency urinary incontinence episodes per 24 hours and the treatment response. Secondary efficacy end points were other bladder diary variables, such as the change in mean voided volume per micturition, number of continent days and number of urgency episodes per 24 hours. Tolerability and safety were assessed by evaluating adverse events, electrocardiograms, post-void residual urine volume, laboratory parameters and treatment withdrawals., Results: Treatment with 4 or 8 mg fesoterodine resulted in statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements from baseline to end of treatment for the primary and co-primary end points compared with placebo (p <0.05). Results for most secondary end points, including mean voided volume per micturition, number of continent days and number of urgency episodes per 24 hours, were also significantly improved vs placebo. The adverse events reported more frequently with fesoterodine than with placebo were dry mouth, constipation and urinary tract infection., Conclusions: The 2 doses of fesoterodine were well tolerated and they statistically significantly improved overactive bladder symptoms.

Objective: To determine the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of fesoterodine in subjects with overactive bladder (OAB)., Methods: This was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial with tolterodine extended release (ER) to assess the efficacy and safety of fesoterodine. Eligible subjects (> or =18 yr) with increased micturition frequency and urgency and/or urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) were randomised to placebo, fesoterodine 4 mg, fesoterodine 8 mg, or tolterodine ER 4 mg for 12 wk. The primary efficacy variable was a change from baseline to week 12 in micturitions per 24 h. Co-primary end points included change from baseline to week 12 in UUI episodes per 24 h and Treatment Response ("yes" or "no," based on four-point treatment benefit scale). Secondary efficacy variables included mean volume voided per micturition, continent days per week, and number of urgency episodes., Results: At the end of treatment, subjects taking fesoterodine 4 and 8 mg had significant (p<0.05) and clinically relevant improvements versus placebo in the primary, co-primary, and most secondary efficacy variables. Tolterodine ER (active control) also provided significantly greater improvement than placebo for most efficacy variables, confirming the sensitivity of the study design. A more pronounced effect was observed with fesoterodine 8 mg at most end points., Conclusions: Both doses of fesoterodine were significantly better than placebo in improving the symptoms of OAB and produced a significantly greater Treatment Response versus placebo. Efficacy was more pronounced with fesoterodine 8 mg compared with the other treatments. Active treatments were well tolerated.

Background: Increasingly and justifiably, clinical studies are now being expected to investigate the influence of therapeutic measures also on the quality of life of the patient., Patients and Methods: Since no data on the variability of changes in the quality of life of the patient following PGE1 treatment are so far available, the initial investigation was designed as an uncontrolled pilot study. 104 patients (median age 64.5 years) with a maximum of walking distance on the treadmill (3 km/12%) of 50-250 m were included and given a daily intravenous infusion of 60 micrograms PGE1 (Prostavasin) over a period of 4 weeks excluding weekends. This was followed by a treatment-free follow-up period of 3 months. Changes in the quality of life were recorded with both the newly developed disease-specific questionnaire PAVK-86, and the generic questionnaire SF 36; in addition, the pain-free and maximum walking distances on the treadmill were also established prior to and immediately following treatment, as also at the end of the follow-up period., Results: The quality of life was significantly improved in all dimensions (functional status, complaints, pain, mood, anxiety, social life, treatment expectations) in addition to a marked increase in the median pain-free walking distance from 77 to 108 m (p < 0.001) and the maximum walking distance from 118 to 171 m (p < 0.001). At the end of the 3-month observation period, the improvement was essentially still demonstrable., Conclusion: The study has shown for the first time that treatment with intravenous PGE1 brings about not only the already known increase in the walking distance, but also a clinically relevant and significant improvement in the patient's quality of life.

The well known inferential statistical procedures only take into account the test of a single hypothesis or the estimation of a single parameter. In practical drug research the scientist in most cases is interested in multiple tests of several hypotheses or a simultaneous estimation of several parameters. After introducing the principal problems of simultaneous statistical inference several statistical methods are discussed. These methods can be applied to a variety of problems in drug research.

"Population forecasts based on cross sectional data do not allow for the variations in cohort fertility. In this paper methods are developed to fit cohort fertility rates by an exponential function. Out of a number of selected functions the Weibull-function shows the best fit. For predicting cohort fertility pattern the parameter values can be derived from the forecasts of a small number of demographic statistics." (summary in ENG), (excerpt)