Conditions: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Keywords: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Dutasteride Tamsulosin
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 63
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of treatment with Dutasteride (0.5mg), administered once daily for one year in combination with Tamsulosin (0.4mg), administered once daily for 3 months, followed by counseling on flexible dosing of Tamsulosin on an as needed basis, on the improvement of symptoms and clinical outcome in men with moderate to severe symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At each scheduled visit (3, 6, and 9 months), the subject will be counseled on withdrawal of Tamsulosin. After randomization, study visits are every 13 weeks for up to 52 Weeks. (Including Screening, (up to 7 clinic visits)

Detailed description:
This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of treatment with Dutasteride (0.5mg), administered once daily for one year in combination with Tamsulosin (0.4mg), administered once daily for 3 months, followed by counseling on flexible dosing of Tamsulosin on an as needed basis, on the improvement of symptoms and clinical outcome in men with moderate to severe symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At each scheduled visit (3, 6, and 9 months), the subject will be counseled on withdrawal of Tamsulosin.

A recently published, landmark study (MTOPS - Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms), co-sponsored by the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH-NIDDK), demonstrated that, in selected patients, combination therapy with Doxazosin and Finasteride provided additive symptomatic improvements, reduced the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) and surgical intervention, and was a more effective treatment for reduction in the overall risk of BPH clinical progression.

The aim of this proposed combination study, in a population of patients at high risk of BPH clinical progression, is to investigate whether combination therapy with Dutasteride and Tamsulosin with the subsequent withdrawal of Tamsulosin can maintain superior symptom improvement. At each scheduled visit (3, 6, and 9 months), the subject will be counseled on withdrawal of Tamsulosin. We hypothesize that patients may start with a combination of Dutasteride and Tamsulosin and eventually may be able to eliminate the use of Tamsulosin and maintain acceptable urinary symptoms on Dutasteride alone.

Arms:
arm 1: Dutasteride 0.5mg once daily for one year and tamsulosin 0.4mg administered once daily for 3 months, followed by counseling on flexible dosing of tamsulosin on an as needed basis.

Subjects will self-administer the study medication once daily for up to 52 weeks (1 year). Subjects will return to the clinic at 13 week intervals during the treatment period. At each scheduled clinic visit (3, 6, and 9 months), the subjects will be counseled on withdrawal of Tamsulosin. The total study duration for each subject will be up to 52 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Tamsulosin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Dutasteride 0.5mg once daily for one year and tamsulosin 0.4mg administered once daily for 3 months, followed by counseling on flexible dosing of tamsulosin on an as needed basis.

Protocol document: