Urovant Sciences® Announces Collaboration with Holly Robinson Peete to Help Raise Awareness for Overactive Bladder and Treatment Options

IRVINE, Calif. & ZUG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Urovant Sciences, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., today announced its partnership with actress and overactive bladder (OAB) patient Holly Robinson Peete as part of its Time To Go™ campaign – an educational program to raise awareness of OAB. Time To Go aims to highlight the impact the condition can have on patients and introduce options for managing symptoms of OAB, which may make those living with OAB feel more comfortable seeking help from their healthcare provider.

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Holly Robinson Peete, Actress, OAB Patient, and Urovant Spokesperson. (Photo: Business Wire)

OAB causes sudden urges to urinate that are difficult to control and can result in leakage, as well as frequent urination – usually eight or more times a day.¹ Approximately 33 million Americans experience bothersome bladder symptoms – and the prevalence increases with age.^1,2 These symptoms can negatively impact daily activities such as changing travel plans, exercising less or not at all, and limiting certain activities.³

“I experienced OAB symptoms for years prior to talking to my doctor about potential treatment options, and I wish I had sooner,” said Holly Robinson Peete. “I noticed I was going to the bathroom a lot and had a sudden urge to go, like now. With my OAB symptoms, there was a lot of added stress and worry before I traveled either for work or for fun. I’ve seen a positive impact on my OAB symptoms with GEMTESA. By reducing my symptoms, I’m spending my time planning activities and less time mapping out the closest bathroom.”

Research shows that many people with symptoms of OAB delay seeking help from their doctors. On average, patients waited 3.5 years between noticing OAB symptoms and seeking a doctor’s help. This may be because they are too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms or mistakenly think it’s just a normal part of aging.^4,5

“We’re excited to work with Holly Robinson Peete to raise awareness about OAB and help reduce the stigma around the condition,” says James Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Urovant. “We believe this collaboration will bring more attention to recognizing its symptoms and the treatment options that may help.”

OAB patients are encouraged to discuss their symptoms with their doctor to determine the best treatment options to help them manage the condition.

Visit TimeToGo.com to learn about OAB, GEMTESA® (vibegron) 75mg Tablets, a prescription treatment for OAB, and to register for a travel kit, including options for traveling with OAB. You can also learn more about GEMTESA at GEMTESA.com.

About Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical condition that occurs when the bladder muscle contracts involuntarily. Symptoms may include urinary urgency (the sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control), urgency incontinence (unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate), and frequent urination (usually eight or more times in 24 hours).¹ About 33 million US adults experience the bothersome symptoms of OAB.²

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA® (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

• urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents
• urgency: the need to urinate right away
• frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for full Product Information for GEMTESA.

References:

1. Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder – symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715.
2. Gomelsky A. Update on the management of overactive bladder: patient considerations and adherence. Journal of Urology. 2010.
3. DOF_OAB QoL Questionnaire. Urovant. 2021.
4. Filipetto F, et al. The patient perspective on overactive bladder: a mixed-methods needs assessment. BMC Family Practice 15:96(2014).
5. Hahn SR et al. Physician-patient communication about overactive bladder: Results of an observational sociolinguistic study. PLoS One. 2017.

About Urovant Sciences

Urovant Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for areas of unmet need, with a dedicated focus in urology. The Company’s lead product, GEMTESA^®(vibegron), is an oral, once-daily (75 mg) small molecule beta-3 agonist for the treatment of adult patients with overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. GEMTESA was approved by the U.S. FDA in December 2020 and launched in the U.S. in April 2021. Urovant Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., intends to bring innovation to patients in need in urology and other areas of unmet need. Named one of the Fortune^® Best Workplaces in BioPharma™ (2022), twice as one of the “Best Places to Work” in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal (2021, 2022) and winner of the PM360 Trailblazer Award for Best Product Launch of the Year, Urovant’s people-focused culture leads the way for innovation and impact. Learn more about Urovant at www.Urovant.com or follow on Twitter, Linked In or Instagram.

About Sumitovant Biopharma

Sumitovant is a technology-driven biopharmaceutical company accelerating development and commercialization of new potential therapies for patients with rare conditions and other diseases. Through our proprietary computing and data platforms, scientific expertise and diverse company portfolio, Sumitovant has supported development of multiple FDA-approved products and a robust pipeline of early- through late-stage investigational assets addressing unmet patient needs in pediatrics, urology, oncology, women’s health, specialty respiratory and infectious diseases. Sumitovant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma. Please visit our website www.sumitovant.com for more information on Sumitovant and our portfolio.

UROVANT, UROVANT SCIENCES, the UROVANT SCIENCES logo are trademarks of Urovant Sciences GmbH, registered in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2023 Urovant Sciences. All rights reserved.

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