A new Enteric-Coated Cholestyramine (ECC) capsule has been developed to manage diarrhea associated with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). SBS is usually caused by the significant resection or loss of function of the ileum, leading to reduced reabsorption of bile acids and subsequent osmotic diarrhea. The new ECC formulation could release cholestyramine in the remaining segment of the small intestine in SBS patients, delivering and binding bile acids before they induce diarrhea in the colon. The proposed advantages of this formulation are: a) to prevent drug-drug interactions in the proximal GI tract, b) to preserve the fat digestive properties of bile acids in the duodenum and 3) to offer a more palatable dosage form to patients. Moreover, since distal delivery of cholestyramine is expected to be more effective in diarrhea prevention/reduction in SBS, lower doses than the ones used with non-enteric coated cholestyramine may be sufficient. Two doses of ECC will be studied for efficacy, safety and tolerability in well-defined non fully-colectomized, adult SBS patients suffering from diarrhea.
A new Enteric-Coated Cholestyramine (ECC) capsule has been developed to manage diarrhea associated with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) in adults. The formulation is expected to release cholestyramine in the remaining segment of the small intestine in SBS patients, thus binding bile acids after fat digestion, but before induction of diarrhea in the colon. The delayed-release profile is also expected to help reduce the potential for drug-drug interactions occurring in the proximal small intestine. Two doses of ECC will be studied for efficacy, safety and tolerability in this Phase IIa trial.