GlaxoSmithKline drug Avodart trial yields positive outcome

GlaxoSmithKline has revealed that its Avodart (dutasteride) treatment, alongside tamsulosin, reduces the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) clinical progression more than the former drug alone.

The trial was conducted among BPH patients and discovered that a combination of the two products also delivered superior sustained symptom improvement from month nine, compared to either dutasteride or tamsulosin monotherapy.

Overall, there was a 66 per cent reduction in the risk of AUR or BPH-related surgery with combination treatment compared to tamsulosin alone, as well as a 20 per cent reduction compared to dutasteride alone.

Doctor Claus Roehrborn, principal investigator and lead author of the study, commented that the trial “provides evidence that dutasteride and tamsulosin together may benefit [BPH patients], potentially reducing the long-term risk of disease progression and improving their symptoms”.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week that GlaxoSmithKline was considering buying a stake in Dr Reddy’s, a pharmaceutical supply firm, resulting in the latter company’s share prices rising by 3.7 per cent, informed Bloomberg.