What this Trial Is About

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the major Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) and the most frequent reasons for referral to both primary care providers and gastroenterologists.IBS is not a life-threatening disease, but imposes a significant burden on society, entailing a decrease in patients' Quality of Life (QoL), elevated rates of psychological comorbidities and loss of work productivity, which might be the greatest in subjects with IBS-D, for whom the fear of incontinence in a social situation can be especially debilitating. Moreover, IBS is associated with significant direct and indirect healthcare costs and has a considerable socioeconomic impact on society. Treatment strategy for IBS is usually based on predominant symptoms and their severity, and requires a strong patient-physician relationship, as well as both non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches. Lifestyle interventions, such as dietary modifications, physical activity and lifestyle adjustments, and stress reduction/psychological therapy represent the most important initial non-pharmacological clinical approach for IBS patients, especially for those with mild disease. First-line pharmacological options for IBS-D include antidiarrheals, mainly loperamide, to control diarrhoea, as well as antispasmodic drugs to relieve IBS symptoms, in particular abdominal pain. Second-line therapies indicated for the treatment of global IBS-D symptoms include rifaximin, 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3 receptor antagonists (alosetron, ondansetron and ramosetron) and eluxadoline. Other treatments recommended in patients with IBS-D consist of Tricyclic Anti-Depressants (TCAs) and bile acid sequestrants. Notably, management of patients with IBS is challenging since diagnosis and treatment could require several therapeutical strategies with often partial and unsatisfactory results. Indeed, most patients with IBS are dissatisfied with their current therapy and 34% report no symptom control, according to the IBS Global Impact Report of 2018. At present, there is a growing interest in therapeutic approaches for IBS-D aimed at improving intestinal barrier integrity for a more efficient control of symptoms, considering that an intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction and mucosal immune activation have been suggested as a central mechanism in IBS-D pathophysiology. In this perspective, film-forming agents capable of protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier, such as Xyloglucan (XG) and Pea protein may represent a valid alternative therapeutic option for the management of IBS-D. Gelsectan® is a CE-marked medical device under the European Union (EU) Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745, whose classification under the MDR is class III. Gelsectan® contains XG, Pea protein, grape seed extract, and Xylo-Oligosaccharides (XOS) and is indicated for symptomatic relief and prevention of chronic or relapsing diarrhoea, abdominal tension, pain, bloating and flatulence, as well as protection and restoration of intestinal mucosal function. Based on previous non-clinical studies and two clinical investigations, Gelsectan® seems to be safe and exert a protective action on the intestinal mucosa, mediating the restoration of intestinal permeability and the improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with IBS-D. In particular, a 28-day treatment with Gelsectan® significantly reduced IBS-D-associated diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating, with no related adverse events in a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical study. Moreover, Gelsectan® treatment for 6 months was generally safe and effective in improving IBS severity, diarrhoea and bowel habit, as well as pain and bloating, in a recent multicentre, open-label, prospective, observational study. Of note, Gelsectan® was also mentioned in the recent clinical practice guidelines on IBS-D and functional diarrhoea of the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) and the European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ESNM), and a recent consensus on IBS conducted by a panel of Belgian gastroenterologists. With these premises, the present study aims to further assess the performance and safety of Gelsectan® within the scope of its intended purpose, compared with placebo, on overall abdominal pain and symptoms in patients with IBS-D in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical study.

Gelsectan® in the Treatment of Patients With Diarrhoea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome