Botox, the flagship drug of Irvine-based Allergan Inc., may help treat some overactive bladder conditions, according to a study released Tuesday.
Allergan paid for the study, which was run by Dr. Brigitte Schurch, head of the neurology department at University Hospital Balgrist’s Spinal Cord Injury Centre in Zurich, Switzerland.
Results were presented at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in San Antonio.
The study found that Botox treatments lowered the number of urinary incontinence episodes in patients with overactive bladders.
Fifty-nine people with overactive bladders brought on by spinal cord injuries or multiple sclerosis received either Botox injections or a placebo in the 26-week study, which was conducted in France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Participants who received botulinum toxin injections reported a 32% to 58% slide in incontinence events, versus no change in people who received placebos.
Botox, which is primarily used to reduce wrinkles, accounted for some $176 million of Allergan’s first-quarter revenue.
Allergan is looking for other uses of the drug to boost sales. The drug also is used to treat migraine headaches.
