Fesoterodine -: Treatment of urinary incontinence muscarinic M3 antagonist

Urinary incontinence and overactive bladder are extremely common disorders affecting up to 12 and 20 million adults in the U.S., respectively. Current pharmacotherapy includes peripherally acting compounds which modulate bladder smooth muscle contraction or centrally acting agents which modulate the neurological control of urination. Anticholinergic agents inhibit bladder smooth muscle contraction through interference with acetylcholine action on muscarinic receptors on detrusor smooth muscle. However, the first anticholinergic agents were associated with a high rate of adverse events due to nonselectivity and targeting of several muscarinic subtypes and thus other organs. The search for novel, more bladder-selective antimus-carinic agents with better tolerability was initiated. Fesoterodine is a novel selective muscarinic M 3 receptor antagonist that has shown potent antimuscarinic activity in vitro and in vivo and has been selected for further development as a treatment for urinary incontinence and overactive bladder.