BPH

Preclinical studies show that PRX302 can destroy prostate tissue in the presence of prostate specific antigen (PSA), an enzyme that is found at elevated levels in both BPH and prostate cancer. The purpose of the destruction is to reduce the size of the prostate and relieve the pressure exerted by the enlarged prostate on the urethra which causes the urinary symptoms associated with the condition. PRX302 will be administered locally to the prostate in a doctor’s office and is expected to have a therapeutic effect that will last much longer and have fewer side effects than current treatments.

What is BPH?

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland located between the bladder and the rectum and wraps around the urethra which is the tube that empties urine from the bladder. During middle age, in most men the prostate begins to enlarge as cells multiply faster than they die off. The increase in the size of the prostate exerts pressure on the urethra causing an obstruction in urine flow. Resulting symptoms are painful and bothersome and include difficulty in initiating a urine stream, an interrupted or weak stream, a sense of urgency, leaking, dribbling and the presence of blood in the urine.  As the urethra becomes narrower, the bladder wall becomes thicker and the bladder itself becomes smaller causing more frequent urination particularly at night. Acute urinary retention is a painful and serious condition that results when a man can no longer pass any urine.

How Common is BPH?

BPH is a very common condition. More than half of all men will have symptoms of BPH by age 60 and as many as 90% may suffer from BPH after the age of 70. In the U.S., 25% of all men will have received treatment for the condition by the age of 80 and over 300,000 surgical procedures are performed each year. The most common surgical procedure for BPH—transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)—is the second most frequent surgical procedure, next to cataract surgery, at a cost of approximately $2 billion dollars per year. Drug therapy for BPH has exceeded $4 billion dollars in annual sales.

What are the Current Treatments for BPH?

Current treatments include watchful waiting (no pharmaceutical or surgical treatment is used), drug therapy, different forms of minimally invasive procedures and radical surgery. Each treatment has its own limitations in terms of effectiveness and adverse effects, with the most common side effects being hypotension (low blood pressure), dizziness, impotence and incontinence. Because current drug treatments work to relieve symptoms rather than cure the condition, re-treatment or continual drug therapy is often necessary.