Ferring Canada, a subsidiary of Ferring Pharmaceuticals group, yesterday announced the availability in Canada of Nocdurna (desmopressin orally disintegrating tablets) for adult men and women who awaken up to four times nightly to urinate due to nocturia.
“The availability in pharmacies of Nocdurna, the first low-dose format of desmopressin indicated in Canada for the treatment of nocturia in adults, expands treatment options for healthcare providers and is good news for patients for whom behavior and lifestyle changes have not been effective in reducing the frequency of waking up for nighttime urination,” says Michael Seckler, general manager of Ferring Canada, in a release.
Dr Sender Herschorn, professor, Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, says, “The ability to use a low dose format of desmopressin for nocturia will greatly enhance the treatment options that Canadian physicians can now consider. Nocturia is often due to a combination of nighttime urine overproduction and bladder storage problems. For some patients, medications like Nocdurna, which targets the production of urine by the kidneys, may be beneficial to provide relief of their nighttime symptoms.”
Nocdurna is an antidiuretic that contains desmopressin, a structural analogue of the natural pituitary hormone arginine vasopressin. It works by stimulating vasopressin receptors in the kidneys, causing increased water reabsorption and hence reduced urine production.
In Phase 3 clinical trials, Nocdurna demonstrated consistent, significant efficacy by several measures that translated into clinical benefits for patients. These trials used co-primary efficacy endpoints of the average reduction in the number of times that patients urinated during the night as well as in the proportion of participants with more than 33% reduction in the average number of their nighttime urinations. The trials also assessed as a secondary endpoint the impact of Nocdurna on the first period of undisturbed sleep, an outcome linked with better sleep quality and higher nocturia-related quality of life.
