Trulance Improves Quality of Life for Patients With Chronic Idiopathic Constipation

According to an award-winning poster presented at the AMCP 2017 Annual Meeting, Trulance (plecanatide; Synergy) significantly reduced bowel symptoms and improved quality of life for patients with chronic idiopathic constipation.

“Chronic idiopathic constipation significantly affects quality of life,” Marc A Hixson, vice president of market access at Synergy Pharmaceuticals, and Satish SC Rao, MD, professor of medicine at Augusta University, wrote in the presentation. “This analysis investigates whether plecanatide, a uroguanylin analog that increases fluid secretion in gut, improved health-related quality of life in two clinical trials of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation.”

The researchers randomized 2683 patients who met modified Rome III chronic idiopathic constipation criteria into one of three study groups: placebo, a 3 mg Trulance group, and a 6 mg Trulance group—for a 12-week study period. They compared the overall proportion of complete spontaneous bowel movements from each of the study groups. The researcher also assessed the frequency of spontaneous bowel movements in the study population and the level of treatment satisfaction. 

Study results showed that there was significantly increased rates of complete spontaneous bowel movements in both the 3 mg Trulance group (20.5%) and the 6 mg Trulance group (19.8%) compared with the placebo group (11.5%; P < .001).

Additionally, mean patient satisfaction scores were higher in the Trulance groups compared with the placebo group—at each assessment point and increased over time.

“These data suggest plecanatide will be a useful treatment option in the management of chronic idiopathic constipation patients,” Mr Hixson and Dr Rao concluded. 

This study was funded by Synergy Pharmaceuticals. —David Costill