European Markets for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Drugs, Devices, and Therapies

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, is a common condition associated with aging in men. While the prostate grows throughout a lifetime, bothersome growth typically begins at approximately age 40, and by age 60 more than half of men will have experienced at least some symptoms of BPH by age 80, up to 90% of men become symptomatic. It is estimated that more than 28 million men in Europe suffer from some form of BPH.

Although the exact cause of BPH is not known, the condition most commonly occurs in older men and is most likely due to hormonal changes. Due to the fact that BPH does not develop in men whose testes are removed before puberty, factors related to the aging process and the testes, such as the decline in the production of testosterone and its subsequent imbalance to estrogen (which is produced in small amounts in men), may spur the development of the condition. Animal studies have suggested that BPH may occur due to higher levels of estrogen, which may increase the activity of substances that promote cell growth in the prostate. A more popular theory, however, focuses on the level of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a masculinizing metabolite of testosterone that may cause hyperplastic growth.