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Title: Tegaserod Maleate Improves Productivity in Working Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Presented at ACG

"Tegaserod Maleate Improves Productivity in Working Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Presented at ACG"

By Mike Fillon ORLANDO, FL -- November 5, 2004 -- A new study shows women with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) who take tegaserod maleate tablets are more productive at work than women who don't take the medication. Lead researcher Margaret C. Reilly, MPH, a health economic analyst and president of Margaret Reilly Associates, New York, New York, presented the results of the study in a poster presentation here on November 3rd at the American College of Gastroenterology 69th Annual Scientific Meeting. The researchers assessed productivity results as part of a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial of tegaserod maleate compared to placebo in 2650 women. The average age of the subjects in the study was 42 years (range 17-66) and mean duration of IBS symptoms was 13 years. Of the subjects, 63.8% in the tegaserod maleate and 59.4% in the placebo group were employed. Health economics endpoints were assessed by the validated Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire for IBS (WPAI-IBS). The WPAI measures absenteeism, presenteeism, and impairment with daily activities in the previous 7 days. Impact on daily activities, including housework, shopping, childcare, exercising, studying were also evaluated with the WPAI-IBS. Prior to study enrollment patients reported absenteeism (51%), presenteeism - employees going to work sick or injured - (92%), and limitations in daily activities due to IBS-C (87%). The study included a 2-week baseline period followed by a 4-week placebo-controlled treatment period. Women in the trial met the accepted diagnostic (Rome II) criteria for constipation. Those in the tegaserod maleate arm took 6 mg of the medication twice a day. The researchers found women receiving tegaserod maleate, a selective, serotonin type 4 (5-HT4) receptor agonist, showed a decrease in absenteeism and greater job effectiveness. On average, patients receiving the medication were able to work 2.5 hours more per week compared to those receiving placebo. Results at the end of 4 weeks showed that use of tegaserod maleate significantly reduced absenteeism by 2.6% (P <.004), presenteeism by 5.4% (P <.0001), loss of overall work productivity by 6.3% (P <.0001), and daily activity impairment by 5.8% (P <.0001). "Data of this type helps patients, employers, physicians, the medical community, and insurers because it begins to quantify the contribution a therapy can make on a personal health economic level," Ms. Reilly said. About 5% of women in the United States -- a total of about 6 million -- have IBS with constipation. Novartis Pharmaceuticals contributed funding for the study. [Presentation title: Tegaserod Significantly Reduces Work Productivity Loss and Daily Activity Impairment in Patients With IBS With Constipation. Abstract 54]

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