Astellas receives CHMP recommendation for overactive bladder drug

Astellas has received a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for marketing approval of the overactive bladder therapy Betmiga.

Based on a review of positive data from seven clinical trials, the CHMP has endorsed the drug for the symptomatic treatment of urgency, increased micturition frequency and/or urgency incontinence among sufferers of this condition.

The mirabegron-based therapy functions by stimulating the beta-3 receptors to cause relaxation of the detrusor muscle of the bladder, thus improving storage capacity without inhibiting bladder voiding.

A final approval decision from the European Commission is expected within the next three months.

The company said: "With a strong emphasis on research and development, Astellas is dedicated to finding new treatments to meet unmet medical needs and has a number of treatments for urological conditions in development."

Earlier this month, Astellas announced a new alliance with Janssen that will see the companies jointly developing a new oral JAK inhibitor for immunologic diseases called ASP015K.