Skip to main content

Does Gemtesa cause high blood pressure?

Medically reviewed by Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD. Last updated on June 15, 2024.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

No, it isn’t common for Gemtesa (vibegron) to cause high blood pressure.

In the phase 3 EMPOWUR trial of patients taking 75 mg of Gemtesa per day, Gemtesa had low rates of high blood pressure (1.7%) that were similar to placebo. Additionally, a 4-week study showed that patients who took a daily dose of 75 mg of Gemtesa did not experience significant changes in blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor if you notice an increase in your blood pressure. High blood pressure can put you at a higher risk for serious medical problems, such as heart failure, stroke, and kidney damage.

Gemtesa is a beta-3 adrenergic agonist used to treat overactive bladder. It is typically taken by mouth once a day. Some potential side effects include headache, urinary tract infection, and diarrhea.

References

Gemtesa [package insert]. (Revised Feb 2024). Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. Accessed 06/15/2024 at https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=25f21d25-14f8-4fda-91f6-7aa8b68aa1c8

Staskin, D., et. al. (2020). International Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo and Active Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Vibegron in Patients with Symptoms of Overactive Bladder: EMPOWUR. In: The Journal of Urology. Available from: https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/JU.0000000000000807

Weber, M. A., et. al. (2022). Effects of vibegron on ambulatory blood pressure in patients with overactive bladder: results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. In: Blood Pressure Monitor. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8893125/

Read next

Cognitive decline, which may include dementia, memory loss and confusion, is not a known side effect for Gemtesa (vibegron) or the beta-3 agonist class as a whole. In addition, a study found the use of anticholinergic medications among patients with overactive bladder (OAB) was associated with an increased risk of new-onset dementia compared to beta-3 agonist users. Continue reading

Gemtesa (vibegron) starts working almost immediately – within a few days of first taking it, with noticeable improvements in urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence noted in clinical trials at 2 weeks which were reported as significant by 12 weeks.

After 12 weeks, people taking Gemtesa had 2 fewer daily leakage episodes compared to 1 fewer episode in those taking placebo, 2 fewer bathroom visits (versus 1 fewer with placebo), and 3 fewer “urge to go” visits a day compared to 2 fewer with placebo. Continue reading

Gemtesa (vibegron) works by relaxing the detrusor muscle of the bladder – this is smooth muscle found in the wall of the bladder – and it does this by activating beta-3 adrenergic receptors located in the detrusor muscle. By activating these receptors, the muscle in the bladder wall relaxes. This allows the bladder to hold more urine, which can relieve symptoms of overactive bladder such as needing to pass urine immediately or frequently (urinary urgency and frequency) and reduce urine leakage (urinary incontinence). Continue reading

Related medical questions

Drug information

Related support groups

Medical Disclaimer