Category: Irritable-Bowel Syndrome

A new study demonstrated that the active ingredient in AMITIZA® (lubiprostone), given 8 mcg twice a day, may improve symptom relief rates in adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). These results were presented as a late-breaker at Digestive Disease Week 2007, the largest annual international meeting of digestive disease specialists.

Three new therapy options, including two novel medications, showed promise in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2007 (DDW). Participants in the studies who received one of the two investigational medications experienced significant relief in constipation, while a third study demonstrated the benefits of hypnotherapy in treating bowel and abdominal complications in children.

Data presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting this week in Washington D.C. by Dr. William Sandborn from the Mayo Clinic suggest that Nuvion (visilizumab), an antibody in development as a treatment for intravenous steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (IVSR-UC), administered on day 1 and day 2, produced a sustained clinical response up to 310 days and was adequately tolerated.

Studies have shown that gastrointestinal (GI) tract function is often influenced by specific stimulants or reactors, which sometimes cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or constipation. Two studies presented at Digestive Disease Week 2007 (DDW) take a closer look at GI stimulation, including one examining the role of serotonin and reactions to certain types of foods and another looking at the potential therapeutic value of nerve stimulation for constipation.

Microbia today announced the presentation of data from a Phase 2 study in which linaclotide accelerated colonic transit and improved bowel function in patients with constipation- predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). These data also showed linaclotide was well tolerated with a low incidence of adverse events. Linaclotide is a first-in-class compound currently being developed for the treatment of IBS-C, chronic constipation (CC), and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM) today announced the initiation of patient dosing in a clinical program designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of MLN0002 derived from a newly engineered, commercially scaleable cell line. MLN0002 is a novel monoclonal antibody that binds to the T-cell integrin alpha 4 beta 7 with potential in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases, including ulcerative colitis.

More effective remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are needed, as well as increased availability of treatments shown to be effective against IBS, such as hypnosis, says a Comment in this week’s special gastroenterology edition of The Lancet.The Comment is authored by Professor Robin Spiller, Wolfson Digestive Diseases Centre, University Hospital Nottingham, UK.

Overly anxious and driven people are susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome, usually known as IBS, indicates research published ahead of print in the journal Gut.The researchers studied 620 people who had confirmed gastroenteritis caused by a bacterial infection. None had had IBS before, or indeed any serious bowel disorder.Each participant completed a detailed questionnaire when their infection was confirmed.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder in the developed world. It is characterized by altered bowel function, abdominal discomfort, and pain. However, there are few effective treatments for IBS, in part because the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease symptoms have not been well defined. But now, researchers from the University of Calgary have provided evidence that serine proteases and PAR2 might provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of IBS.

According to a study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, the time of day that a colonoscopy is performed may also affect its outcome. The study reviewed 1,084 patients who received colonoscopies between 8:00 a.m. and 11:59 a.m., and 999 colonoscopies performed after 12 p.m. A significantly higher number of patients had inadequate bowel preparation in the afternoon compared to the morning and, therefore, were unable to complete their colonoscopies.