New drug to help common bowel condition

(Medical Xpress)—An international team led by University of Adelaide researchers has discovered the mechanism of pain relief of a new drug for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C), based on nonclinical studies, and quantified its effectiveness in pain relief in human trials. Published in the journal Gastroenterology , the study details the pain mechanism of action meant for Linaclotide, a recently approved drug for the treatment of chronic abdominal pain and constipation in adult IBS-C patients. IBS is a potentially debilitating condition along with abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation. It affects up to 15% of western populations, costing millions of dollars annually in Australia alone in dropped productivity and health care. Approximately 1 / 3 of IBS patients are identified as having IBS-C. “This is a significant locating and very good news for IBS-C victims, ” says study leader Doctor Stuart Brierley, NHMRC RD Wright Biomedical Fellow in the University’s Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory. “IBS affects many people, particularly women, on a daily basis and it has a significant impact on their quality of life. Stomach pain is often the most troubling sign to IBS patients and has been the most difficult symptom to treat. “The drug works well in relieving abdominal pain related to IBS-C and is already available and registered for use by IBS-C individual...
Source: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story - Category: Other Conditions Authors: Tags: IBS News Source Type: blogs