Investigators characterize vibegron prescribing patterns for OAB

In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Grace Khaner and Melissa A. Laudano, discussed a study of prescribing patterns for the β-3 agonist vibegron (Gemtesa) for the treatment of overactive bladder.¹

For the study, which was presented at the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction 2025 Winter Meeting in Rancho Mirage, California, Khaner, Laudano, and their coauthors looked at prescribing data in a Medicare Part D claims data set.

“We found that the location that prescribers were registered in, as well as their fellowship training, was significantly associated with higher vibegron prescription rates,” said Khaner, a medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

The investigators also found that prescribers who were located in urbanized areas prescribed vibegron at higher rates.

“I think a contributing factor that underlies all of this is that subspecialists in general are more concentrated in urban areas, and so the higher prescription rates that we see of vibegron in these urban areas might indicate that people in less rural areas just don't have as much access to prescribers who would be comfortable giving these medications out. It's possible that PCPs [primary care physicians] are the main prescribers in these less urbanized areas, just given the general distribution of health care professionals and so these variables kind of work in tandem, where it's likely that there might be less education regarding vibegron prescriptions or just new medications for overactive bladder in general, which can make it difficult for all patients to have access to these medications, depending on who their main access to health care is,” Khaner said.

Laudano added, “There also may be the possibility that in some of the rural areas that there may be less access to vibegron due just to availability/stocking in pharmacies, which may dissuade some of those providers from prescribing this medication. Our hope is that now that we see the excellent results associated with vibegron, that we may have more access for patients across the board.” Laudano is an attending physician and an associate professor of urology at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

REFERENCE

1. Khaner G, Malviya N, Clearwater W, Laudano M. Prescribing patterns for vibegron, a selective beta3 agonist, used in the treatment of overactive bladder. Presented at: Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction 2025 Winter Meeting. February 26-March 1, 2025. Rancho Mirage, California. Abstract NM113