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A combined treatment using two drugs that are already on the market for men with prostate problems could stop disease progression and reduce the need for surgery, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline says.
GSK said a four-year study into the combined treatment, called CombAT, found results were better than using the individual drugs, Avodart or Tamsulosin, alone.
Almost half of men over 50 have benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate, which in itself is not life-threatening, but can lead to complications and the need for surgery.
The study treated some men with moderate-to-severe symptoms with the dual treatment CombAT, while others received one of either Avodart or Tamsulosin. Those who had the combined treatment reported fewer symptoms than those on single doses.
Dr Mark Embleton, Urology Consultant at the University College of London, said the study results were very encouraging and show that BPH can be effectively treated using combination therapy, reducing the risk of disease progression and surgery related to this disease.
He added, the findings are important because disease progression often leads to more severe symptoms and can cause acute urinary retention, a sudden inability to pass urine, which is painful and involves treatment with catherisation or prostate surgery.
Copyright Press Association 2009
