Naldemedine safely improved opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic noncancer pain

WASHINGTON — Patients with opioid-induced constipation and chronic noncancer pain achieved symptom improvement with naldemedine, according to data from a late-breaker abstract presented at Digestive Disease Week.“Laxatives have traditionally been the first-line treatment for opioid-induced constipation but there is really very little clinical evidence for their efficacy and many patients cannot achieve satisfactory laxation with the use of laxatives,” Lynn R. Webster, MD, from PRA Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah, said in his presentation. “Naldemedine is a new, novel peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist that falls into the category that we call PAMORA being developed for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.”