Asimadoline may see use in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome sooner thanks to being “fast tracked” by the FDA.

Tioga Pharmaceuticals announced via press release that they have received fast track status from the FDA on their drug Asimadoline. Asamadoline is an agonist which binds to the kappa opioid receptor. The kappa opioid receptors reside in the brain, spinal cord & peripheral nervous system. Asimadoline is targeted to work on the peripheral nervous system, while avoiding the brain due to it’s inability to cross past the blood brain barrier. Clinical trials of Asimadoline show that the drug is helpful with treating pain, discomfort & urgency in those with diarrhea predominant IBS symptoms.

Opioid based drugs seem to be getting more attention on the IBS front. The company Furiex is also working on their own opioid drug called MuDelta which targets the mu & delta opioid receptors. Low Dose Naltrexone is another opioid based drug that is getting some attention. It may even be interesting to know that old standby drugs like Imodium are opioid based.

Asimadoline or drugs similar to it appear to have been investigated as far back as the mid 1990s. Tioga Pharmaceuticals appears to have been created to take over development of Asimadoline after the drug company Merck shelved it. Currently Asimadoline is moving into Phase III trials which you might be able to participate in.