Linaclotide, (sold under the brand name Linzess in the US and Mexico, and as Constella elsewhere) is a drug used to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic constipation with no known cause.It has a black box warning about the risk of serious dehydration in children in the US; the most common adverse effects in others are gastrointestinal.
It is an oligo-peptide agonist of guanylate cyclase 2C and remains in the GI tract after it is taken orally. It was approved in the US and Europe in 2012.
It is marketed by Allergan in most of the world and by Astellas in Asia; Ironwood Pharmaceuticals was the originator.In 2017, it was the 257th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than one million prescriptions
Linaclotide is a peptide agonist of the guanylate cyclase 2C.This compound reduces the activation of colonic sensory neurons, reducing pain; and activates colonic motor neurons, which increases smooth muscle contraction and thus promotes bowel movements.