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Teduglutide: A Review of its Use in the Treatment of Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome

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Abstract

The recombinant analogue of human glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) teduglutide (Gattex®, Revestive®) is a novel therapy for short bowel syndrome (SBS). GLP-2 is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the growth, proliferation and maintenance of cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Subcutaneous teduglutide is the first long-term medical therapy approved for the treatment of adult patients with SBS who are dependent on parenteral support (parenteral nutrition and/or intravenous fluids). In a pivotal, double-blind, multicentre, phase III study in adult patients with SBS who were dependent on parenteral support, a significantly higher proportion of teduglutide 0.05 mg/kg/day recipients than placebo recipients achieved at least a 20 % reduction from baseline in weekly parenteral support volume at week 20 and maintained at week 24 (primary endpoint). The overall mean reduction in weekly parenteral support volume from baseline was greater in patients who received teduglutide compared with those who received placebo. Additionally, more teduglutide-treated patients achieved at least a one-day reduction in parenteral support than those receiving placebo. Subcutaneous teduglutide had an acceptable tolerability profile; the most frequently reported adverse events were of gastrointestinal origin, consistent with the underlying disease condition and the known mechanism of action of teduglutide.

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Disclosure

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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Correspondence to Celeste B. Burness.

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The manuscript was reviewed by: L. Matarese Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA; E. P. Misiakos Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece; A. Shatnawei Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; D. L. Sigalet Department of Surgery, Alberta Children’s Hospital & University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; E. Steiger Nutrition Support and Vascular Access Department, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; J. S. Thompson Department of Surgery, University Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA; J. Woodward Department of Gastroenterology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK.

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Burness, C.B., McCormack, P.L. Teduglutide: A Review of its Use in the Treatment of Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome. Drugs 73, 935–947 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-013-0070-y

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