Opioid analgesics such as morphine continue to play a critical role in chronic cancer and non-cancer pain control. Despite their effectiveness, opioids have significant drawbacks, notably the development of analgesic tolerance and physical dependence, sedation, respiratory depression and bowel dysfunction.
Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is common, affecting up to 80% of patients receiving opioids for chronic non-cancer pain.
TD-1211 is an investigational, peripherally selective, mu-opioid receptor antagonist designed to alleviate gastrointestinal side effects of opioid therapy without affecting analgesia.
Safety and efficacy results, including the primary and key secondary endpoints, from a 5-week, Phase 2b study in chronic non-cancer pain OIC patients have been previously reported (see also APS 2013 Poster #421).
As mu-opioid receptor antagonists can quickly reverse the effects of opioid agonists on gastrointestinal opioid receptors, demonstration of a sustained response on bowel movement frequency is necessary for a therapy intended for patients taking opioids chronically.
Therefore, additional pre-specified week-by-week efficacy analyses are
reported here.
