Drugs of today
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Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) decreases gastric and intestinal motility, reduces gastric secretions, promotes intestinal growth and improves post-resection structural and functional adaptation in short bowel syndrome (SBS). Teduglutide, an analogue of GLP-2, has a prolonged half-life and provides intestinotrophic effects with once-daily subcutaneous injection in patients with SBS. This monograph reviews the preclinical and clinical data that provide the scientific rationale for the use of teduglutide in this orphan condition. ⋯ Following its positive regulatory review and approval by the European Medicines Agency and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012, teduglutide has moved from the research setting to clinical practice, offering a new treatment paradigm for this burdensome and potentially life-threatening condition.