Xconomy: Ironwood, Flush With Cash, Anticipates Big Year with Constipation Drug
Summary
Ironwood’s is an engineered protein fragment or peptide, designed in such a way that it is an oral pill that can pull off a tricky balancing act.It has been made to withstand the harsh acids of the stomach, navigate its way into the gut, and act exclusively in that environment, without being absorbed throughout the body, where it can cause side effects, Hecht says.The drug is thought to act by stimulating secretions of fluids into the intestines, which softens stool, and helps people have easier bowel movements, Hecht says.If this drug succeeds in the final phase of clinical trials, Ironwood won’t just sit back and collect royalties from its partner.Hecht didn’t reveal timelines for when the trials should produce an answer, but Ironwood is clearly going to find out if it has a big drug on its hands sooner than most biotechs in Massachusetts, or anywhere else.