An intravesical device for the sustained delivery of lidocaine to the bladder.

Intravesical instillation is a single compartment therapy providing high drug concentration at the bladder and reduced systemic exposure. Therapies based on this method, however, often require repeated instillations with intermittent transurethral catheterizations due to the short drug residence time in the bladder. Here we describe an intravesical device to achieve extended and localized delivery of lidocaine to the bladder. The device is a non-resorbable system that can be non-surgically deployed into the bladder. An in vivo rabbit study showed that lidocaine concentration in the bladder tissue was higher than 0.1μg/g during the 3 day period of device release while a single instillation yielded immeasurable amounts within 24h. The device can be used for the delivery of other therapeutic agents, currently delivered to the bladder by intravesical instillations.