Patients with cancer and opioid-induced constipation (OIC) achieved rescue-free laxation within four to 24 hours of initial dose of methylnaltrexone, according to a study in the Journal of Pain Research (2023;16:3529-3543).
The investigators analyzed two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of 363 patients who received subcutaneous methylnaltrexone or placebo every other day for two weeks. Stratified by baseline age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status