LONDON, June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent randomised controlled clinical study published in BMJ Open Gastroenterology has demonstrated that Enterosgel, an oral intestinal adsorbent significantly reduces the duration of diarrhoea in adults with an acute diarrhoea (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgast-2019-000287).
Acute infectious diarrhoea is a common condition with high levels of morbidity and mortality. There are two billion cases of diarrhoeal disease every year worldwide according to the WHO and UNICEF, it is especially prevalent in children under 5 years of age and results in 1.9 million deaths. In the UK there are approximately 17 million cases annually resulting in 1 million GP visits which is a significant burden on the NHS. There is an unmet need to reduce duration of symptoms and numbers of GP visits and A&E attendance.
The study recruited 105 patients from ten GP surgeries across England, patients were randomised to the treatment group which received Enterosgel and oral rehydration solution for 8 days, or the control group which received oral rehydration solution alone. Patients completed a daily diary to record their symptoms and treatment use. The study found that the duration of diarrhoea was significantly shorter in the group of patients receiving Enterosgel compared to the control group of patients. Enterosgel was well tolerated and safe with no serious side effects.
Dr Preeti Pandya, a GP from The Village Practice, Thornton medical centre was the chief investigator and helped design the study. She says: "Acute infectious diarrhoea is a common condition especially in young children. NHS guidance suggests that you can usually treat yourself or your child at home by drinking plenty of fluids or taking an oral rehydration solution which can alleviate dehydration, although this no effect on the duration of diarrhoea. We know that Enterosgel can adsorb bacterial toxins, so it can help remove the causes of diarrhoea and reduce its duration, and this may especially benefit vulnerable groups of patients, such as children and the elderly."
ENTEROSGEL is an oral intestinal adsorbent (binding agent) that is composed of a safe organic mineral in the form of a gel. Mixed with water it passes through the gut where it has been shown in a recently published article in "Scientific Reports" (https://rdcu.be/buBKB), to physically bind to bacterial toxins from Clostridium difficile, Shigella and E. coli, known causes of inflammation and damage to the gut wall, resulting in diarrhoea. ENTEROSGEL can bind to and prevent the action of these harmful toxins which are then completely expelled from the body. ENTEROSGEL is available over the counter in the UK in pharmacies and health stores, for use in children and adults for the symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhoea and chronic IBS diarrhoea.
Professor Ramesh Arasaradnam, the Research Committee Chair at the British Society of Gastroenterology and a co-author in the ENTERSOGEL study said: "This drug-free innovative treatment can open opportunities for reducing the number of prescriptions and use of opioid anti-diarrhoeal drugs especially for certain groups of patients. Intestinal adsorbents offer potential as alternative treatment options for other gastrointestinal conditions and deserve further research".
