KARLSRUHE, Germany, 28 April 2006.

According to latest research, Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals’ proprietary phytomedicine is comparably effective as the standard synthetic drug tamsulosin in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms. The unique herbal combination product contains 160 mg WS® 1473 and 120 mg WS® 1031 (Schwabe’s proprietary saw palmetto and nettle root extracts). It is known in Germany as Prostagutt® forte.

BPH is a non-cancerous condition and is characterized by a local growth of the prostate that occurs in almost all older men. More than half the men in their sixties, and as many as 90 percent in their seventies and eighties, have some symptoms of BPH.

In the new randomized, double-blind study, 140 patients suffering from mild to moderate lower urinary tract symptoms caused by BPH received a standard dose of either the phytomedicine or tamsulosin for 60 weeks [1]. The primary outcome measure was the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS).

After 60 weeks of randomized treatment, the I-PSS total score was significantly reduced by a median of 9 points in both groups. Notably, a larger percentage of patients in the WS® 1473/WS® 1031 group (32.4 % compared to 27.9 % in the tamsulosin group) had only very mild symptoms (I-PSS < 7 points) at the end of treatment. The tolerability was excellent.

These results are in line with the findings of previous clinical studies showing significant advantages of Schwabe’s phytopharmaceutical over placebo [2] and an efficacy comparable to that of finasteride [3].

“This study shows that the combination product of WS® 1473/WS® 1031 significantly relieves the lower urinary tract symptoms and improves the quality of life of elderly men suffering from BPH“ says Prof. Udo Engelmann, principal investigator of the study and director of the Department of Urology at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. “With a clear advantage over placebo and a comparable efficacy to synthetic medications this drug represents an efficacious and very safe alternative in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms. “

The drug was developed and is produced by Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, Karlsruhe, Germany, the leading research-based phytomedicines company worldwide.
 

Contact:
Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals
Willmar-Schwabe-Str. 4
76227 Karlsruhe

Dr. Jochen Muehlhoff
Phone: +49 721 4005 216
Email: jochen.muehlhoff@schwabe.de

[1] Engelmann U, Walther C, Bondarenko B, Funk P, Schläfke S
Efficacy and Safety of a Combination of Sabal and Urtica Extract in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. Arzneimittelforschung (Drug Res) 2006; 56 (3): 222-229.
Link to the Pubmed abstract of above publication.
[2] Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Walther C, Schläfke S, Medvedev A, Avdeichuk J, Golubev G, Melnik K, Elenberger N, Engelmann U. Long-term efficacy and safety of a combination of sabal and urtica extract for lower urinary tract symptoms-a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. World J Urol. 2005; 23: 139-146.
[3] Sökeland J. Combined sabal and urtica extract compared with finasteride in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: analysis of prostate volume and therapeutic outcome. Br J Urol 2000 (86):439–442.