Investigational therapies targeted to the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

INTRODUCTION: The desired goals of treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) include sustained, clinically significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life and/or slowing or preventing the progression of the condition. There is a continuing interest in research for new therapies for BPH due to the high prevalence of the condition and the unmet expectations of patients and physicians from the efficacy of available therapies. AREAS COVERED: The aim of this paper is to provide the latest data on new medical treatments for LUTS/BPH, defined as pharmacological treatments not yet commonly available and/or currently under investigation. Articles were identified by means of a computerised Google and PubMed search and a search of the trial registries. EXPERT OPINION: Many potential targets for future drugs have been evaluated but it is obvious that there is a wide variation in the degree of mature of each therapy. Time and high-quality studies will decide which of these potential drugs will fade away without fulfilling the initial promises. At the moment, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are claiming their position in the armamentarium of BPH treatment.