Prucalopride: evaluation of the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic constipation

Introduction: Prucalopride is the first member of a novel class of 5-HT4 receptor agonist which has been extensively evaluated for the treatment of chronic constipation. Predominantly, prucalopride is currently used to treat patients that show an insufficient response to laxatives as an alternative form of therapy. Areas covered: The following article provides the reader with a systematic review of the literature on prucalopride. Specifically, the article reviews the currently literature on the pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of the drugs as well as reviewing literature on its efficacy. Furthermore, the authors also highlight the safety and tolerability of the drug that have been demonstrated in its clinical development. Expert opinion: Prucalopride is an important addition to the therapeutic abilities for treating chronic constipation, especially in females poorly responding to laxatives. The safety profile of the drug, to date, is favorable. There is also the possibility that prucalopride might be of benefit to other disorders of gastrointestinal motility with a number of studies currently in progress, which are evaluating alternative applications.