Chronic idiopathic constipation sufferers may soon find relief with the FDA approval of Shire's prucalopride.
Here's what you should know:
1. Prucalopride is a once-daily, oral treatment for CIC.
2. Prucalopride works by enhancing colonic peristalsis, which increases bowel mobility.
3. Shire expects to launch prucalopride in the U.S. sometime in 2019.
4. In six double-blind studies, patients who took prucalopride reached the primary endpoint — more than three complete spontaneous bowel movements per week — than those on a placebo.
5. Shire CMO Howard Mayer, MD, said, "This significant milestone reinforces our continued commitment to the [gastrointestinal] community and advances our goal of addressing the unmet need of patients suffering from rare, specialized and common GI conditions."