ATB-284: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
ATB-284 addresses the market for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the three principal forms of IBS. The most common of the 25 recognized functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, IBS is often misunderstood and under-treated. It is a collection of symptomatically defined disorders for which no underlying structural change in the digestive tract has been identified. Experts believe that nearly 20% of the world’s population suffers from IBS. However, because a majority of the affected population does not seek (or cannot access) medical attention, estimates vary concerning the scope of the disease. In industrialized countries, IBS accounts for up to 10% of cases seen by family doctors, and on the order of 50% of cases seen by gastroenterologists.
ATB-284 has been shown to be effective in animal models of visceral pain. The drug is in pre-clinical effectiveness trials and toxicology studies.