Treatment with prolonged-release oxycodone/naloxone improves pain relief and opioid-induced constipation compared with prolonged-release oxycodone in patients with chronic severe pain and laxative-refractory constipation.

Purpose: Laxative-refractory opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is defined as OIC despite using 2 laxatives with a different mechanism of action (based on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System level 4 term [contact laxatives, osmotically acting laxatives, softeners/emollients, enemas, and others]). OIC has a significant impact on the treatment and quality of life of patients with severe chronic pain. This noninterventional, observational, real-life study in Belgium investigated the efficacy of prolonged-release oxycodone/naloxone combination (PR OXN) treatment regarding pain relief and OIC compared with previous prolonged-release oxycodone (PR OXY) treatment for laxative-refractory OIC in daily clinical practice.