PCI 7 November 2023, 15:44
Temax_Krautz
Owen Mumford 12 January 2022, 17:40

Current Edition

Choosing and Developing User-friendly Osmotic Laxatives for a More Patient-centric Portfolio

At least 1 in 10 people worldwide suffer from constipation at some point in their lives.1,2 It affects people of all ages and has many causes. The symptoms of constipation include pain in the lower abdomen and irregular and painful bowel movements. Laxatives are often needed in addition to dietary changes to treat constipation. There are many laxatives to choose from, each with different mechanisms of action and, consequently, different advantages and disadvantages. Here we look at the important role of osmotic laxatives, how they overcome many of the side effects and drawbacks of other constipation treatments, and the manufacturing expertise needed to make user-friendly laxatives part of a patient-centric product portfolio.

Constipation:

Prevalence, Causes and Treatment

Constipation affects many of us, but it is more common in older people, women and children.2 The prevalence of constipation increases with age because of factors such as medicine use, underlying disease, change in drinking and diet habits, weakened pelvic floor muscles and long-term hospitalisation or institutionalisation. Women are twice as likely to be affected by constipation as men, especially during pregnancy where hormones influence bowel muscle movement.2,3

For most people, constipation is caused by not drinking enough water or not eating enough fiber, but it is also a common side effect of taking certain medicines (e.g., opioids and diuretics), and can be associated with conditions such as anxiety or depression and gastrointestinal disease.

Some people experience acute constipation, which lasts for only a few hours and often results from lifestyle changes, such as travel or stress. For others, constipation becomes a chronic condition (obstipation) where symptoms persist for more than three months and have a significant impact on quality of life. They may not be able to pass stools at all, or they may pass stools that are hard, cause pain and lead to secondary issues such as anal tears (fissures) or even fainting or heart attacks in the elderly.2

Treatment for adults usually involves increasing water and fiber intake as well as upping exercise levels, and laxatives may be offered if symptoms don’t improve. In children, laxatives are usually offered as first-line standard care because constipation can worsen quickly.

Types of Laxatives

There are many different laxatives available, each varying in their mechanisms of action, ease of administration and the side effects they can cause.

In the rest of this article, we will look more closely at osmotic laxatives and discuss why these are considered one of the most patient-friendly and effective treatments for constipation in all age groups.

Osmotic Laxatives – A Patient-friendly Solution

Osmotic laxatives can be further divided into four groups: lactulose, sugar alcohols, saline laxatives and macrogols (polyethylene glycol).

  • Lactulose is a non-absorbable disaccharide that is metabolised in the gut. The metabolites bind water and draw it into the colon, softening stools.
  • Sugar alcohols work in a similar way to lactulose: they are metabolised by intestinal bacteria to form acids which stimulate peristalsis, and the metabolites draw water from the gut mucosa, softening stools.
  • Saline laxatives contain magnesium or potassium and work primarily by drawing water into the bowel and making stools softer and easier to pass.
  • Macrogols (polyethylene glycol) work by binding the water they are consumed with to make stools slightly larger (which stimulates bowel movements) and softer (which makes stools easier to pass). There are different types of macrogols available, characterised by their mean chain length. Macrogol 3350 and Macrogol 4000, which are mainly used, have approximately 3350 and 4000 ethylene units respectively, and they have virtually the same properties.