In two trials of linaclotide, about 21 percent of participants with chronic constipation had at least three spontaneous bowel movements a week, compared with no more than 6 percent taking a placebo.
The drug, a minimally absorbed peptide agonist of the guanylate cyclase C receptor, also helped reduce abdominal discomfort, bloating and the severity of constipation.
Read the New England Journal of Medicine report on the drug linaclotide for chronic constipation.
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