Call it the linaclotide bump. Private companies developing drugs for gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) hope to take advantage of a resurging interest in the space after linaclotide developer Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc. has shown its novel, locally acting guanylate cyclise type-C agonist is efficacious in four Phase III trials. “With Ironwood’s success I think there will be a resurgence of early programs in the space, which will hopefully lead to additional novel drugs,” says Bryan Roberts, PhD, a partner with the venture firm Venrock and chairman of Ironwood’s board. (See “Ironwood Pharmaceuticals: Independent For the Long Haul,” IN VIVO, September 2010 Also see "Ironwood Pharmaceuticals: Independent for the Long Haul" - In Vivo, 1 September, 2010..)
Drugs aimed at IBS, a broad label that can apply to patients with both constipation-predominant and diarrhea-predominant forms, have long...