Gastroenterologist Survey: Traditional Constipation Medications are Not Working

Vibrant Gastro’s non-pharmaceutical vibrating capsule technology offers alternative for patients to regain control over their lives BOSTON – Millions of Americans currently receiving treatment for chronic constipation may not be seeing the relief they hope for, a recent tele-study by Vibrant Gastro shows.  The survey of roughly 100 high-volume gastroenterology providers found that 74 percent of those interviewed are either unsure or positive that the medications they prescribe for patients with chronic constipation are not working. Additionally, a 2020 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that 12-19 percent of Americans suffer from chronic constipation, and of those who suffer, 3 in 5 are not discussing symptoms with their doctor, relying instead on over-the-counter products and food trends, such as the recent viral orange peel hack. Recent news reports also show that more and more Americans are overusing laxatives. Disrupting the U.S. $4.6 billion constipation treatment market, Vibrant Gastro’s first-in-class technology offers providers and patients with a new, non-pharmaceutical alternative to address this issue.  Named one of Time magazine’s 2023 inventions of the year, Vibrant’s ingestible capsule uses micro-vibrations inside the digestive system to signal the body to move its contents and resync the colon. Patients track the progress of the treatment on their phone with an app to increase compliance, consistency and to monitor results.  A study presented at Digestive Disease Week in 2023 found significant symptomatic relief in patients and a substantially improved quality of life. Study Highlights¹

• Vibrant Capsule led to one additional bowel movement in approximately 40% of patients compared with 23% of people who were in the control arm.
• Approximately 23% of people taking Vibrant had two additional bowel movements per week, compared with approximately 12% of people taking placebo.
• Secondary endpoints were reduced straining, improved stool consistency, and improved Quality of Life (QoL) and strong satisfaction scores from patients, and
• Adverse events similar to placebo.

“I love the fact that it’s not a medication…not another drug,” said Cherie Friedman, a patient from Chicago. “I’ve eaten handfuls of laxatives and drank every nasty liquid solution there is – without success… With Vibrant, I now have bowel movements 3 – sometimes 4 – times each week. My stomach is not as distended; I’ve lost at least 20 pounds*, and I feel like a normal human being again.” “Chronic constipation can be physically debilitating and emotionally devastating, as some people live for years in discomfort, can’t leave their house or even maintain day-to-day functions,” said John Schellhorn, CEO of Vibrant Gastro. “Our mission at Vibrant is to leverage innovation to create drug-free options for patients so they can live their lives freed from the tethers of this limiting and embarrassing disorder.” *The Vibrant Treatment System is not FDA-cleared as a product for weight loss. This benefit may be studied and evaluated in the future.

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  About Vibrant Up to 1 in 5 American adults — disproportionately women and people of color — struggle with chronic constipation and existing treatments ruin their quality of life with 60 percent saying the treatments, which cause diarrhea, are worse than the constipation. Named as one of the best inventions of 2023 by TIME, Vibrant is an FDA-cleared drug-free treatment that uses a vibrating capsule to restore the colon’s natural rhythm and put patients back in control. Clinical results show Vibrant provides one, two and sometimes three additional complete spontaneous bowel movements weekly, even in severe adult patients, with just 1.2 percent of patients reporting diarrhea. Since Vibrant is not a drug, there are no interactions with other drugs, unlike traditional and prescription laxatives. Learn more at vibrantgastro.com.

1. Satish S.C. Rao et al. Randomized Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Trial of Vibrating Capsule for Chronic Constipation. Gastroenterology, volume 164, issue 7, p1202-1210.E6, June 2023