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Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Forest Laboratories, Inc.announced positive top-line results from the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials assessing the efficacy and safety of the investigational drug, linaclotide, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Analyses of the data indicate clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement was achieved for linaclotide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients for all four primary efficacy endpoints, which included two composite responder endpoints encompassing abdominal pain and complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs), as well as individual responder endpoints for abdominal pain and CSBMs. Significant improvement was also achieved for linaclotide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients for all pre-specified secondary endpoints, which are measures of abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, bloating, and bowel symptoms. The safety results were consistent with those observed in previous linaclotide trials, with diarrhea being the most common adverse event in linaclotide-treated patients. A second Phase 3 trial of linaclotide in IBS-C is ongoing with top-line results expected in Q4 2010.
Peter Hecht, Chief Executive Officer of Ironwood said, The results of this Phase 3 trial, combined with the previously reported positive IBS-C and chronic constipation trial results, further support our belief that linaclotide has the potential to improve abdominal pain and bowel symptoms, offering a promising treatment for more than 30 million individuals suffering from these chronic gastrointestinal disorders.
