Efficacy of pentosan polysulfate for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: results of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

van Ophoven A, Vonde K, Koch W, Auerbach G, Maag KP · Current Medical Research and Opinion

Prepared for the European Medicines Agency approval dossier, this pooling found statistically significant improvement on PPS for overall patient response (p<0.001), pain (p=0.009) and urgency (p=0.005), with no detected heterogeneity or publication bias.

Population

Six randomized placebo-controlled trials of oral PPS in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

Intervention

Oral PPS

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Authored in support of a marketing-authorization application, with an author from the manufacturer bene; the six included trials are the same small older studies plus the null ones, and the Cochrane network meta-analysis published the following year read the same evidence base and found no benefit.