• Maura Corsetti and Jan Tack.
• University of Leuven, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders , Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven , Belgium.
• Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2014 May 1; 15 (7): 927-41.

IntroductionA number of new medications were recently demonstrated to be more effective than placebo in treating chronic constipation, including the intestinal chloride channel activator lubiprostone, the prokinetic selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist prucalopride and the guanylate cyclase-C agonist linaclotide. Recent publications have also revisited traditional laxatives like PEG. Moreover, a number of pharmacological treatments are in development and these include another guanylate cyclase-C agonist, plecanatide and an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, elobixibat.Areas CoveredThis review focuses on the pharmacology, efficacy and safety profile of prucalopride, linaclotide, plecanatide and elobixibat.Expert OpinionThe possible present or future clinical application of prucalopride, linaclotide, plecanatide and elobixibat in both chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation is reported, and some considerations on the possible role of PEG taking into account recent literature are advanced.

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