Tegaserod Helps Chronic Constipation

Tegaserod, a selective serotonin type 4 receptor agonist currently indicated for the treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, appears to be effective in the treatment of chronic constipation. This finding was presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 68th Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course, held from October 11 to 15, 2003, in Baltimore, Md. Nicholas Talley, MD, PhD, and colleagues demonstrated that patients receiving 2 or 6 mg of tegaserod twice daily experienced statistically significant increases in the number of bowel movements, as well as improvements in both global and single-symptom relief, compared with patients receiving placebo. Sophie Hugot, MSc, and colleagues presented data showing that tegaserod was safe and well tolerated in these patients. Abstracts from the ACG meeting were published in the September 2003 Supplement to the American Journal of Gastroenterology.