Daily Medication Pearl: Linaclotide (Linzess)

Indication: Linaclotide (Linzess) is a guanylate cyclase-C agonist indicated in adults for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).

Insight:

• Dosing: The recommended dosage in adults for IBS-C is 290 mcg orally once daily. For CIC the recommended dosage 145 mcg orally once daily or 72 mcg orally once daily based on individual presentation or tolerability.
• Dosage forms: Capsules in 72 mcg, 145 mcg, and 290 mcg.
• Adverse events: Most common adverse reactions (≥2%) reported in IBS-C or CIC patients are diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, and abdominal distension.
• Mechanism of action: Linaclotide is structurally related to human guanylin and uroguanylin and functions as a guanylate cyclase-C agonist.
• Manufacturer: AbbVie, Ironwood

Sources:

Final_labeling_text_10-2018-AR-updates-LINZESS-clean.pdf (allergan.com)

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