RimabotulinumtoxinB in sialorrhea: systematic review of clinical trials

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy, safety and dosing practices of rimabotulinumtoxinB (BoNT-B) for the treatment of patients with sialorrhea based on a systematic review of clinical trials. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed to identify randomized controlled trials and other comparative clinical studies of BoNT-B for the treatment of sialorrhea published in English between January 1999 and December 2015. Medical literature databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) were searched and a total of 41 records were identified. Of these, six primary publications that evaluated BoNT-B for the treatment of sialorrhea met criteria and were included in the final data report. SYNTHESIS: Total BoNT-B doses ranged from 1500 to 4000 units for sialorrhea. Most of the studies in sialorrhea showed statistically significant benefits of BoNT-B versus placebo (range 4–19.2 weeks). BoNT-B was generally well tolerated across the individual studies; most adverse events reported were considered unrelated to treatment. Adverse events considered potentially associated with BoNT-B included: dry mouth, change in saliva thickness, mild transient dysphagia, mild weakness of chewing and diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: BoNT-B significantly reduces sialorrhea at doses between 1500 and 4000 units. The relatively mild dose-dependent adverse events suggest both direct and remote toxin effects. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40734-017-0055-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.