Final NHS green light for Allergan’s IBS-D drug

Allergan’s Truberzi has become the first treatment for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D) to be reviewed and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for use on the NHS in England and Wales.

Final guidelines published by the Institute have backed the drug for patients who have not responded to or cannot take other treatments, and recommend that the therapy be initiated in hospital.

Truberzi (eluxadoline) is a first-in-class, oral drug that works by binding to receptors in the digestive system to slow down the movement of food through the gut.

In two pivotal Phase III trials the therapy induced a significant reduction in the two most bothersome symptoms of IBS-D - abdominal pain and diarrhoea - with fast and sustained relief for over six months, according to Allergan, which also noted that treatment effect can be seen within one week and is sustained over six months.

"Until now doctors have had limited options when it comes to treating IBS-D and unfortunately this has been to the detriment of patients, many of whom endure debilitating symptoms on a daily basis. For doctors to now be able to prescribe Truberzi, a targeted treatment, this will signify real change for IBS-D sufferers," noted Dr Adam Farmer, consultant gastroenterologist at University Hospitals of North Midlands and scientific advisor at UK charity The IBS Network.

The treatment is estimated to cost around £3 per patient per day.