AccScience Publishing / Bladder / Online First / DOI: 10.14440/bladder.0247
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Pentosan polysulfate sodium for chronic bladder pain conditions: Real-world experiences from a tertiary care center

Dayan Jacob1 George Hanna1 Ahmed Ghonaimy1 Sumathi Gelli1 Emma Pattie1 Wasim Mahmalji2 Mehwash Nadeem1*
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1 Department of Urology, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire TS4 3BW, United Kingdom
2 Department of Urology, Wye Valley NHS Trust, Hereford, Herefordshire HR1 2BN, United Kingdom
Submitted: 10 August 2025 | Revised: 29 October 2025 | Accepted: 10 November 2025 | Published: 19 December 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Background: Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic condition characterized by pelvic pain and lower urinary tract symptoms. Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) is the only oral therapy licensed in the United Kingdom (UK) for BPS; however, evidence on its effectiveness is inconsistent, with limited data for off-label use in ketamine- or radiation-induced cystitis. Objective: This study evaluates real-world outcomes of PPS in patients with BPS and other chronic bladder pain at a UK tertiary center. Methods: A retrospective review included 42 patients prescribed PPS between 2020 and 2024 for BPS (n = 29), ketamine-induced cystitis (n = 9), or radiation/chemotherapy-induced cystitis (n = 4), excluding Bacillus Calmette–Guérin cystitis. Demographics, comorbidities, prior treatments, symptom severity, and treatment response were recorded. Changes in quality of life (QoL) and Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index/Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI) scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean age was 49.7 years, and 81% were female, with a median follow-up of 15.3 months. All patients were severely symptomatic at baseline. Among those with follow-up data, 42.5% were asymptomatic, 25% mildly symptomatic, and 32.5% remained severely symptomatic. QoL improved significantly (Wilcoxon Z = −4.71, p<0.001). Greatest reductions in ICSI and ICPI scores were observed in BPS patients, with modest improvements in off-label groups. Side effects occurred in 14.2% of patients. PPS was associated with significant symptom improvement and acceptable tolerability in a treatment-refractory cohort, particularly in BPS. Conclusion: Modest benefits in ketamine- and radiation-induced cystitis suggest potential off-label utility, warranting further investigation. These findings support PPS use in selected cases, while accounting for placebo effects and disease heterogeneity.

Keywords
Pentosan polysulfate sodium
Bladder pain syndrome
Interstitial cystitis
Ketamine-induced cystitis
Radiation cystitis
Overactive bladder
Functional urology
Glycosaminoglycan therapy
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Bladder, Electronic ISSN: 2327-2120 Print ISSN: TBA, Published by POL Scientific