title: Comparison of dutasteride and finasteride for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia: the Enlarged Prostate International Comparator Study (EPICS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  • To assess the efficacy and safety of dutasteride compared with finasteride in treating men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) for 12 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  • The Enlarged Prostate International Comparator Study was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, 12-month, parallel-group study. • Men aged ≥ 50 years with a clinical diagnosis of BPH received once-daily treatment with dutasteride 0.5 mg (n= 813) or finasteride 5 mg (n= 817). After a 4-week placebo run-in period, patients were randomized to receive dutasteride or finasteride for 48 weeks, followed by an optional 24-month, open-label phase, during which patients received dutasteride 0.5 mg once daily. • The primary endpoint was change in prostate volume, and the secondary endpoints included improvement in American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) scores, improvement in maximum urinary flow rate (Q(max)) and long-term safety in the 24-month open-label phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  • Both dutasteride and finasteride were effective at reducing prostate volume with no significant difference between the two treatments during the study. • Similar reductions in mean AUA-SI scores and Q(max) were also observed for men in both treatment groups. • A similar percentage of adverse events was experienced by patients of both treatment groups, and no new adverse events were reported in the open-label phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Dutasteride and finasteride, when administered for 12 months, were similarly effective in reducing prostate volume and improving Q(max) and urinary symptoms associated with BPH in men with an enlarged prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada. jcn@queensu.ca
authors.forename: J Curtis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilling
authors.forename: Teuvo L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tammela
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morrill
authors.forename: Timothy H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rittmaster
mesh_terms: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D001378:Azasteroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000068538:Dutasteride; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D001378:Azasteroids; D018120:Finasteride; D000068538:Dutasteride