Alosetron for severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: improving patient outcomes

Abstract

Background:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder often diagnosed and managed by primary care physicians (PCPs). Despite the high prevalence of IBS, symptom severity is often underappreciated and inadequately managed. The goal of this review is to discern IBS treatment gaps and identify opportunities for improving its management in the primary care setting, as well as describe the most current clinical experience with alosetron, a targeted treatment for severe diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) in women.