RedHill Biopharma says its medical food, EnteraGam, is clinically and economically beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with chronic diarrhea.
The Israeli company presented EnteraGam on Nov. 7 at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 20th Annual European Congress, in Glasgow, Scotland.
A medical food indicated to help manage diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), chronic diarrhea and loose stools, EnteraGam was fully licensed in the United States earlier this year. It’s one of the three gastrointestinal products promoted by RedHill. The others are Donnatal (Phenobarbital, Hyoscyamine Sulfate, Atropine Sulfate, Scopolamine Hydrobromide) and Esomeprazole strontium delayed-release (DR) capsules.
EnteraGam is a serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate (SBI) that works by binding to parts of microbes, such as toxic substances released by bacteria that perturb the intestinal environment.
In its poster, “Economic and Clinical Impact of Serum-Derived Bovine Immunoglobulin / Protein Isolate (SBI) in the Management of Chronic Diarrhea in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD),” RedHill presented the results of a pharmacoeconomic study conducted by Entera Health.
Specifically, authors evaluated EnteraGam’s real-world economic and clinical impact in IBD patients suffering from chronic diarrhea. They said EnteraGam lowered overall costs for both patients and the healthcare system, mostly due to a reduced need for high-cost medications. These results agree with previous findings from several studies supporting EnteraGam’s use in the dietary management of chronic diarrhea and loose stools.
Those studies showed that EnteraGam reduces loose stools and improves stool consistency, while easing abdominal pain, bloating and urgency in patients with chronic diarrhea and loose stools. IBD patients suffering from these symptoms who failed to totally or partially respond to other forms of therapy showed a positive response to EnteraGam.
The company is also testing its therapy in patients with other gastrointestinal disorders such as fecal incontinence with chronic diarrhea, celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity with chronic diarrhea, and other conditions.