Given the bowel cleansing effect and reduced sleep disturbance, a combination of elobixibat (ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor) and 1 L of polyethylene glycol along with ascorbic acid (PEG-Asc) can be regarded as a bowel cleansing formulation for colonoscopy, as per the outcomes of a randomized study published in Digestive Endoscopy.

Daisuke Yamaguchi and researchers investigated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of elobixibat plus PEG-Asc solution as compared to sodium picosulfate plus PEG-Asc solution as bowel preparation agent in adult patients scheduled for an elective colonoscopy.

In this multi-center, observer-blinded, non-inferiority, prospective study, out of 210 patients, 196 patients were assigned to (i) Group A (99 patients): Received elobixibat plus 1-L PEG-Asc, (ii)  Group B (97 patients): Received sodium picosulfate plus 1-L PEG-Asc. Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) was utilized to evaluate bowel cleansing quality in both arms. Bowel preparation time, tolerability, and adverse events were noted.

Group A and B had comparable BBPS and bowel preparation time. The adequate bowel preparation rate was less in group A vs. group B. The sleep disturbance was considerably less frequent in group A compared to group B, as depicted in the below table 1:

Thus, a combination of elobixibat and PEG-Asc can be used as an alternative bowel preparation agent for elective colonoscopy.