Authors' recommendations: All of the studies included in this report found that alvimopan was effective for the treatment of POI. Alvimopan treatment accelerated the time to GI recovery and has some effect on reducing the time to hospital discharge. The majority of the studies included in this report had some association to industry funding, although with the approval of alvimopan by the FDA in the US, additional non-industry-funded RCTs may be expected in the future. There were no significant differences in pain control in alvimopan versus placebo-treated patients, nor were there significant differences in rates of nasogastric tube re-insertion. Alvimopan is not yet approved by Health Canada, but was recently approved for the treatment of POI in the US. In Canada, the management of POI likely represents a significant burden to the health care system. Clearly, interventions that effectively treat POI and allow for shorter hospital stays and fewer post-operative complications are critical to reducing health care costs.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/htis/L%200067%20Alvimopan%20for%20Surgical%20Patients%20final.pdf

Year Published: 2009

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)