Adolor Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Entereg (alvimopan) capsules to help patients regain gastrointestinal (GI) function earlier following bowel resection surgery. Postoperative ileus (POI) is a condition that affects almost all patients undergoing this type of surgery and can cause significant discomfort in addition to prolonging hospital stays for patients.

Entereg is indicated to accelerate upper and lower gastrointestinal recovery following partial large or small bowel resection surgery with primary anastomosis. Entereg will be available for short-term use in hospitals registered under the Entereg Access Support and Education (E.A.S.E.) programme.

"The approval of Entereg in POI represents a major milestone for Adolor, and is the culmination of a substantial collaborative effort among Adolor, GlaxoSmithKline, and our clinical investigators," said Michael R. Dougherty, president and chief executive officer of Adolor Corporation. "Entereg is the first and only product that has demonstrated the ability to address this serious condition, which has negative consequences for patients, and imposes considerable expense on the healthcare system."

"We are proud to join Adolor in offering bowel resection patients and surgical teams the only therapy proven to consistently accelerate GI recovery in patients and time to hospital discharge order written," said Anne Whitaker, vice president of GlaxoSmithKline's recently formed Critical and Supportive Care Business Unit. "Entereg is an important new product for GSK to offer our longstanding hospital customers."

Entereg is a peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor (PAM-OR) antagonist. The benefits of Entereg were demonstrated in five clinical studies in which all of the more than 2,500 bowel resection patients enrolled (including those in the placebo group) were placed on an accelerated postoperative care pathway, which included nasogastric tube removal before the first postoperative dose, early ambulation and early feeding. The endpoint of these studies was time to achieve recovery of both upper and lower GI function, reported as GI2 data in the package insert, representing resolution of POI. Entereg accelerated the time to recovery of GI function and reduced the time to hospital discharge order written as compared to placebo. Entereg did not reverse opioid analgesia in these patients.

"Delayed recovery of GI function, often called postoperative ileus, is one of the principal causes of patient discomfort and extended hospital stay following bowel resection surgery," said Dr. Anthony Senagore, vice president research, Spectrum Health and Professor of Surgery, Michigan State University in Grand Rapids. "Entereg is a welcome and much needed addition to peri-operative care because it allows us to manage POI without compromising analgesia. With this medication, we have an opportunity to help bowel resection patients recover their GI function more quickly and get them discharged earlier. Since many of these patients are undergoing resections for colorectal cancer or other serious conditions, earlier return to normal feeding and GI function is a positive result for these patients."

POI is thought to be caused in part by the interaction of opioid pain relievers with mu-opioid receptors in the GI tract inhibiting bowel function and motility. It is associated with abdominal distension and bloating, persistent abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, variable reduction of bowel sounds, delayed passage of or an inability to pass flatus (gas) or stool, and an inability to tolerate oral intake or progress to a solid diet.

Opioid analgesics, such as morphine, are widely used for the treatment of postoperative pain. Entereg works by binding to mu-opioid receptors in the gut, thereby selectively inhibiting the negative effects of opioid medications on GI function and motility.

Entereg is for hospital use only. The recommended adult dose of Entereg is a single 12 mg capsule administered orally 30 minutes to five hours prior to surgery followed by a 12 mg capsule twice daily beginning the day after surgery for a maximum of seven days or until discharge, not to exceed 15 doses (see Important Safety Information below).

The FDA lifted the clinical hold on the Entereg capsule investigational new drug application (IND) for POI. The companies plan to commence a study in patients undergoing radical cystectomy, another population in which POI is a significant burden, as part of a postmarketing commitment.

The FDA has approved Entereg with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). As part of the REMS, Adolor has developed the Entereg Access Support and Education (E.A.S.E.) programme. Under the E.A.S.E. program, Entereg will be made available only to hospitals that complete a registration process. The E.A.S.E. programme is designed to maintain the benefits associated with short-term use in the bowel resection population and prevent long-term, outpatient use.

Adolor Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel prescription pain management products. By applying its knowledge and expertise in pain management, along with ingenuity,