Pharmacotherapy for Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Purpose of Review Current literature regarding pharmacotherapy treatment strategies available for the management of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) will be addressed including oral, transdermal, and intravesical therapies. Pharmacotherapies with emerging data will be addressed, but the focus is on those treatments described by the AUA guidelines for IC/BPS. Recent Findings While multiple pharmacotherapy options for the management of IC/BPS exist, the evidence for most medical therapies is not strong and frequently yields mixed results. It has been over two decades since a new medication has gained FDA approval for the treatment of IC/BPS. This has prompted clinicians to reassess the approach to evaluating patients with IC/BPS, leading to the advent of phenotype-directed multimodal therapy. Summary Though national and international guidelines recommend a step-wise treatment algorithm beginning with the most conservative treatment options, the evidence for most therapies is mixed. Furthermore, recent randomized controlled trials of promising treatment options have yielded negative results, highlighting the importance of phenotype-directed classification to aid in the current management of IC/BPS and to allow for better research trial designs.