Elobixibat Study in Parkinson's Disease Patients with Chronic Constipation

Chronic constipation is a common gastrointestinal issue among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly impacting their quality of life. Elobixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, has shown potential in improving bowel movements and stool consistency in patients with chronic constipation. However, its efficacy specifically in PD patients with constipation has not been extensively studied.

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of elobixibat in PD patients with chronic constipation. This study was published in the journal of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society by Taku H. and colleagues.

The study consisted of a 2-week observation/washout period followed by a 4-week treatment period. Patients were assessed for spontaneous bowel movements (SBM) frequency, stool form, quality of life (QOL) parameters, and adverse events. The study included 38 patients in the elobixibat group and 39 in the placebo group, with 37 patients completing the study in each group.

Key Findings

• The elobixibat group showed a significant increase in SBM frequency per week from baseline (4.2 ± 2.6) to Week 4 (5.9 ± 3.2) (P = 0.0079).
• The placebo group did not show a significant increase (4.5 ± 2.7 to 5.3 ± 3.5; P = 0.0889).
• Although the primary endpoint of between-group difference in frequency changes at Week 4 was not significant after adjustment, a significant difference was observed at Week 1.
• Additionally, elobixibat improved stool form and scores related to satisfaction and stigma.

Elobixibat demonstrated improvement in SBM frequency and QOL parameters, suggesting its potential therapeutic benefits in PD patients with chronic constipation. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term efficacy and safety of elobixibat in this patient population.

Reference

Hatano, T., Oyama, G., Shimo, Y., Ogaki, K., Nishikawa, N., Nakamura, R., Tsunemi, T., Ogawa, T., Eguchi, H., Daida, K., Kurita, N., Ueno, S.-I., Fukae, J., Sako, W., Shiina, K., Nakajima, S., Oji, Y., Wakamori, R., Saiki, S., … Hattori, N. Efficacy and safety of elobixibat in Parkinson’s disease with chronic constipation: CONST‐PD study. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.13972