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

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.