Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease / 06.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Gregory S. Sayuk, MD, MPH John T. Milliken Department of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry Associate Director, Fellowship Training Program Washington University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The primary objective of this analysis, “Plecanatide for Patients with Chronic Idiopathic Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome‒Constipation: Analysis of Abdominal Pain from Four Randomized Phase 3 Clinical Trials,” was to determine the impact of plecanatide on abdominal pain in patients with chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), in addition to comparing efficacy results in patient populations with minimal to mild pain versus moderate to severe pain at baseline. This was a post hoc analysis of data from the four large, phase 3 plecanatide pivotal trials in CIC and IBS-C. (more…)
Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease / 06.11.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eamonn M.M. Quigley, M.D. Director, Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders Houston Methodist Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The BURDEN IBS-C (Better Understanding and Recognition of the Disconnects, Experiences, and Needs of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation) Study was designed to develop a better understanding of the experiences and attitudes associated with IBS-C. This study consisted of more than 1,300 individuals who met IBS-C criteria (mean age 46 years; 73 percent of respondents were female) and completed the author-developed, IRB-approved online questionnaire. The study also evaluated, through an approximately 45-minute long questionnaire, more than 325 healthcare providers who treat patients with IBS-C. Notably, the study found many patients experienced stress, lost productivity and described a feeling of frustration with their condition. HCPs recognize this frustration, yet underestimate how many patients have “accepted” their condition. Both patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) also noted a lack of satisfaction in currently available prescription treatments for IBS-C. Detailed findings can be found here. (more…)
Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease / 13.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brooks D. Cash, MD Chief, Gastroenterology Division Professor of Medicine University of South Alabama Mobile, AL 36688 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional disorder characterized by multiple symptoms including, but not limited to, abdominal pain or discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, urgency of bowel movement (BM), a sensation of incomplete evacuation, pain at evacuation, abdominal bloating, and passage of gas or mucus. IBS can be classified into four primary subtypes: mixed IBS (IBS-M), diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D), constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C), and unsubtyped IBS (IBS-U). Among adult patients with IBS, a sizeable proportion suffers from IBS-M, with prevalence rates among IBS patients estimated to be between 44% to 66%. Because of the variability in symptoms associated with IBS-M and the lack of effective or approved therapies, clinicians often face challenges in managing this common IBS subtype. PO and its active ingredient, l-Menthol, are kappa opioid agonists, possess smooth muscle calcium channel antagonist and serotonergic (5HT3) antagonist properties, and exert anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and carminative effect. A recent meta-analysis of medical therapies for IBS found that PO had the lowest number needed to treat among the various options evaluated. The previously published IBS Reduction Evaluation and Safety Trial (IBSREST) showed that PO-SST, a novel formulation of PO using solid-state microspheres to target delivery to the small intestine, was an effective IBS therapy at 24 hours, with improved efficacy at 4 weeks in a combined group of IBS-M and IBS-D patients. In view of the unmet need in IBS-M, we performed a post hoc analysis of the effects of PO-SST among only the IBS-M patients from the IBSREST trial. (more…)