Generic Motegrity is Available Now!

Apotex announced the launch of Apo-Prucalopride 1 mg & 2 mg tablets, the first generic alternative to Resotran in Canada. 

Apo-Prucalopride

Prucalopride

Prucalopride is a medication designed to treat chronic constipation – a health problem characterized by infrequent and difficult passage of stools over a prolonged period, along with a range of other distressing symptoms such as abdominal bloating, flatulence, and even vomiting.

Traditional treatment options for chronic constipation involve mostly diet and lifestyle changes and/or laxatives. 1

Brand name

USA: Motegrity
Europe: Resolor
Canada: Resotran

The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

Motegrity
MOTEGRITY (prucalopride succinate – tablet;oral)
Manufacturer: SHIRE DEV LLC
Approval date: December 14, 2018
Strength(s): EQ 1MG BASE [RLD], EQ 2MG BASE [RLD]

The cost for Motegrity oral tablet 1 mg in the USA at the time this article was written is around $465 for a supply of 30 tablets, depending on the pharmacy you visit.

Prices are for cash paying customers and may not be valid with insurance plans.

Resotran

On December 7, 2011, Health Canada issued a Notice of Compliance to Janssen Inc. for the drug product, Resotran™.

Resotran

Resotran™ contains the medicinal ingredient prucalopride, as prucalopride succinate, which is an enterokinetic agent.

Resolor

Resolor was first approved in Europe in 2009 for symptomatic treatment of chronic constipation in women and in 2015 in men in whom laxatives fail to provide adequate relief.

Resolor

How Does Prucalopride Work?

Prucalopride is characterized as a 5-HT4 agonist. 

This means that it activates the 5-HT4 receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin. 

This activation is thought to increase the motility of the intestinal system by increasing peristalsis, or the muscle movements of the intestines that propel stool out of the body, making stools easier to pass and resulting in more frequent bowel movements.

Prucalopride is of the same class of medications as Zelnorm. 

However, prucalopride has been designed to have a different action on the body so as to reduce the likelihood of the rare but serious cardiovascular symptoms that resulted in Zelnorm being pulled off of the market.

How Effective Is Prucalopride at Treating Chronic Constipation?

• • In clinical trials to date, prucalopride has been shown to be superior to placebo in the following areas:
  • Increasing the frequency of spontaneous and complete bowel movements.
  • Improving patient perception of quality of life.
  • Resulting in patient perception that constipation is less of a problem.

Photo source: medicalnewstoday.com

What Are the Side Effects of Prucalopride?

In studies to date, the following side effects have been experienced:

• • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Nausea

Who Shouldn’t Take Prucalopride?

Certain people are at higher risk for developing dangerous side effects or complications from taking prucalopride.

These include people:

⦁ Known hypersensitivity to the drug or any of its ingredients

⦁ Intestinal perforation or obstruction

⦁ Obstructive ileus

⦁ Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

⦁ Severe and clinically unstable concomitant diseases, in particular arrhythmias or ischemic cardiovascular disease.

 Apo-Prucalopride

Reference:

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-176850/motegrity-oral/details

https://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-motegrity.html

https://www.verywellhealth.com/prucalopride-for-ibs-constipation-1945148