Botulinum Toxin to Treat Neurogenic Bladder

Alteration in neural control from suprapontine areas to the nerves innervating the bladder can lead to bladder dysfunction and the development of a neurogenic bladder (NGB). Patients with NGB often suffer from urinary incontinence, which can lead to adverse events such as urinary tract infections and decubiti, in addition to creating a large care burden for family members or healthcare providers and significantly impairing patient quality of life. The common failure of anticholinergic medications has spurned the development of second -line treatments, including the use of botulinum toxin. OnabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A; BOTOX, Allergan, Inc.) was approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011 to treat neurogenic detrusor overactivity in patients with urinary incontinence resulting from a NGB. In this review the authors summarize pertinent results from key trials leading to FDA approval of onaBoNT-A as well as more recent long-term data.