Insight on Interstitial Cystitis- The Bladder Pain Syndrome

May 05, 2017

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a medical condition that leads to painful bladder syndrome as it is a chronic disease that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and pelvic region. This condition can be of two types: Non-Ulcerative (90% of IC cases) and Ulcerative (5%-10% of IC cases). The exact cause of interstitial cystitis is unknown, but researchers believe that many factors are at play which may contribute to the development of the condition like Bladder trauma, Bladder overdistention, Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, Bacterial infection (cystitis), etc. Damage to the bladder wall allows particles in the urine, such as potassium, to leak into the bladder lining. The diagnosis of interstitial cystitis can be challenging as the patient poses a variety of symptoms that may be difficult to diagnose and may also lead to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis.

In terms of prevalence of this condition, DelveInsight has analyzed that United States is the one to have the highest incident of probable IC Cases, and that out of the total, 90% of IC cases occur in women and only 10% occur in men; however, this can also be attributed to misdiagnosis. Coming to the treatment scenario, the market for Interstitial Cystitis is mainly driven by Elmiron which is the only approved Oral drug by FDA specifically for IC. Other treatment options include bladder instillations like Cystistat, Hyacyst, Uracyst, etc which are not approved by FDA. NSAIDs, Anti-depressants, anti-histamines, etc are used for controlling symptoms like pain.

The overall market of IC in 7 major markets for Elmiron and bladder instillations was around USD 261.3 Millions of which major share is of U.S. Apart from the marketed drugs, the ones in pipeline for IC are also a source of hope for increasing efficacy in treatment for IC, and as a source of expectation to see the market grow at a steady rate. Till yet, there is no cure for interstitial cystitis, and treatment options only help relieve the symptoms of bladder pain, urgency, and frequency. Thus, there is a need for better treatment option and combination therapies to emerge for better and sustained approach towards managing this condition across the globe.