Surveys suggest that anywhere from 5% to 20% of people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, a disorder with a wide range of symptoms that may include crampy abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation.
In February 2000, Lotronex became the first drug approved in the U.S. specifically to treat IBS, but it was withdrawn from the market later that year because of potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal side effects.
The drug was later reintroduced, but its use is now restricted to women with severe diarrhea-predominant IBS who have failed other treatments.
In March 2007, another IBS drug, Zelnorm, was also withdrawn from the market by its maker, Novartis, at the request of the FDA because of an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
"These new-generation drugs were going to be the magic bullets for IBS, but it didn't turn out that way," King's College London professor of general practice Roger Jones, DM, FRCP, tells WebMD. "I think this new paper is important because it shows patients and their physicians that these older treatments can be effective."
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