Treatment for Opiod-Induced Constipation to Receive Further Evaluation
A treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC) will be advanced into late stage clinical development by Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.progenics.com)
A treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC) will be advanced into late stage clinical development by Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc
The drug company announced it will commence a phase 2b/3 clinical trial of a methylnaltrexone tablet in chronic pain patients in the second half of 2010.
Researchers previously studied the tablet using subjects with chronic, non-cancer pain and a history of OIC, receiving various opioid treatment regimens.
Subjects received a single methylnaltrexone tablet at different dose levels after fasting overnight. Based on the results, the researchers found that the tablet is active and well-tolerated.
Constipation from the use of opioids results from the drug interaction with mu-opioid receptors within the CNS and throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Methylnaltrexone works to relieve constipation by selectively displacing opioids from the mu-opioid receptors found in the gastrointestinal tract, which decreases the constipating effects.
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