Long-term results of linaclotide in the treatment of constipation-type irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (C-IBS) is a prevalent, complex and multifactorial disorder that represents a challenge in terms of diagnosis and therapeutic management.

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and treatment satisfaction of linaclotide in C-IBS patients.

Methods: prospective, single-center and observational study conducted in patients diagnosed with C-IBS. The patients were treated with linaclotide (Constella®, Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA), once-daily via an oral capsule of 290-μg, 30 minutes before breakfast. The primary effectiveness endpoint was the number of bowel movements per week. The secondary endpoints included treatment satisfaction and changes from baseline in frequency and severity of symptoms (abdominal pain and bloating). This was assessed via an 11-point visual analog scale (VAS) reported by the patients in a daily register.

Results: thirty female patients were consecutively included. The median follow-up time was 18 months. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) number of weekly bowel movements significantly increased from 0.9 (0.6) at baseline to 4.7 (3.9) at the end of follow-up, p < 0.0001. Abdominal pain significantly decreased from 5.7 (2.3) at baseline to 3.1 (2.8) at the end of the follow-up period, p < 0.0001. Similarly, bloating significantly decreased from 6.8 (1.6) to 2.9 (2.5) at the beginning and end of the treatment period, respectively, p < 0.0001. The mean (SD) degree of satisfaction at the end of the study was 6.7 (3.0).

Conclusions: long-term linaclotide treatment in patients with C-IBS is effective and safe in the clinical setting.