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Linaclotide

Phase 4FDA approved

Functional Constipation | Small molecule | Gastrointestinal |AbbVie Inc.|Trials Updated: May 14, 2026

Linaclotide development status

FDA approval on record Aug 30, 2012 as Linzess
Approval holderAbbvie
ApplicationNDA202811
Highest phase Phase 4 run by Forest Laboratories (NCT02590432)
Phase scored for ABBVPhase 3
Registered trials 22 across 11 sponsors since Aug 2008

Label indication LINZESS is indicated for the treatment of: • irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in adults and pediatric patients 7 years of age and older • chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in adults • functional constipation (FC) in pediatric patients 2 years of age and older LINZESS is a guanylate cyclase-C agonist indicated for treatment of: Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in adults and… FDA label

Linaclotide target and mechanism

Molecular targetGUCY2C
Target classAgonist
ModalitySmall molecule

Also known as Linzess, Virtual Reality

Success Probability

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Market & Valuation

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Trial Design

RandomizedDouble-BlindCONTROLLEDDMC
Total Trials4
Total Enrollment615

FDA Designations

No designations recorded

Linaclotide clinical trials

Linaclotide · 4 trials · 4 indications

Phase 3 2Phase 2 2
NCT05652205A Study to Assess Adverse Events and Change in Symptoms With Linaclotide Versus Placebo in Pediatric Subjects, Ages 2 to 5 Years, With Functional ConstipationFunctional Constipation (FC)
COMPLETED123 Analytics
NCT04026113Linaclotide Safety and Efficacy in Pediatric Participants, 6 to 17 Years of Age, With Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation (IBS-C) or Functional Constipation (FC)Functional Constipation
COMPLETED438 Analytics
PHASE3COMPLETED
A Study to Assess Adverse Events and Change in Symptoms With Linaclotide Versus Placebo in Pediatric Subjects, Ages 2 to 5 Years, With Functional Constipation
Functional Constipation (FC)Unlock trial analytics
PHASE3COMPLETED
Linaclotide Safety and Efficacy in Pediatric Participants, 6 to 17 Years of Age, With Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation (IBS-C) or Functional Constipation (FC)
Functional ConstipationUnlock trial analytics

Study Endpoints

Primary Endpoints

Change From Baseline in 12-week Spontaneous Bowel Movement (SBM) Frequency Rate (SBMs/Week) Observed by the Primary Caregiver During the Double-blind Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 12

An SBM is defined as a BM that occurs in the absence of laxative, enema, or suppository use on the calendar day of the BM or the calendar day before the BM. The caregiver/parent/guardian/legally authorized representative (LAR) will complete the electronic diary (eDiary), providing data for the SBM frequency rate up to the last dose date equivalent to the 12-week SBM frequency rate. Baseline values for efficacy endpoints related to daily eDiary responses were derived from the eDiary in the preintervention period, specifically the time period from 14 days before randomization and up to the time of randomization.

Number of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events
From the time of study drug administration until 30 days or 5 half-lives after the last dose, up to 126 days in Period 1 and 226 days in Period 2

An adverse event (AE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient/clinical investigation subject administered a pharmaceutical product which doesn't necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment. The investigator assesses the relationship of each event to the use of study drug. A serious adverse event (SAE) is an event that results in death, is life-threatening, requires or prolongs hospitalization, results in a congenital anomaly, persistent or significant disability/incapacity or is an important medical event that, based on medical judgment, may jeopardize the subject and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent any of the outcomes listed above. Treatment-emergent adverse events/treatment-emergent serious adverse events (TEAEs/TESAEs) are defined as any event that began or worsened in severity on or after the first dose of study drug.

Functional Constipation (FC) Participants: Change From Baseline in 12-week SBM (Spontaneous Bowel Movement) Frequency Rate (SBMs/Week) During the Study Intervention Period
Baseline, up to 12 weeks

An SBM is defined as a BM that occurs in the absence of laxative, enema, or suppository use on the calendar day of the bowel movement (BM) or the calendar day before the BM. Assessments of BM characteristics that determine occurrences of SBM (ie, BM frequency and rescue medication use) were measured by using the eDiary completed twice daily (morning and evening) on the eDiary (Electronic Diary) device.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation (IBS-C) Participants: 6/12 Weeks APS (Abdominal Pain and SBM) + 2 Responder Rate
12 Weeks

6/12 weeks APS + 2 responder=participant who meets the weekly APS + 2 responder criteria ≥6 of the 12 weeks of the intervention period. Weekly APS +2 responder=participant who has an increase of ≥2 in the SBM weekly rate from baseline, AND a decrease of ≥30% in mean abdominal pain score from baseline, during that study intervention week. Assessments of abdominal pain and BM characteristics that determine occurrences of SBMs were measured by using an eDiary completed twice daily (AM and PM). Assessments of abdominal pain were measured using a 5-point scale where 0=none and 4=a lot. A participant's abdominal pain score=mean of the non-missing abdominal pain scores during the specified period. Responder rate=percentage of participants who were 6/12 weeks APS + 2 responders. A participant had to have ≥4 completed diary days in the analysis week to be considered a responder for that week and was otherwise considered a non-responder for that week.

Change From Baseline in Overall Spontaneous Bowel Movement (SBM) Frequency Rate (SBMs/Week) During the Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 4

An SBM is defined as a BM that occurs in the absence of laxative, enema, or suppository use on the calendar day of the BM or the calendar day before the BM. The caregiver/parent/guardian/legally authorized representative (LAR) will complete the electronic diary (eDiary), providing data for the SBM frequency rate up to the last dose date equivalent to the 4-week SBM frequency rate.

Change From Baseline in Stool Consistency (Bristol Stool Form Scale) During the Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 4

The caregiver/parent/guardian/legally authorized representative (LAR) will rate and record in an eDiary the consistency of the stool for each BM using the Bristol Stool Form 7-point scale in which 1=Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass); 2=Sausage-shaped, but lumpy; 3=Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface; 4=Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft; 5=Soft blobs with clear cut edges (easy to pass); 6=Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool; and 7=Watery, no solid pieces, entirely liquid.

Change From Baseline in Straining During the Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 4

Straining for each LAR/parent/guardian/caregiver-observed BM the child passes was collected daily in the eDiary device, using a 4-point scale (0 = No, not at all; 1 = Yes, a little; 2 = Yes, a lot; 3 = I don't know) based on two questions (did he/she grunt or make a face like he/she was straining). Lower value represents a better outcome and "I don't know" is considered as a missing response. The subject's average straining score for each caregiver-observed BM was derived based on the average of non-missing responses of the two straining questions. The participant's straining score in the 4-week Study Intervention Period was the average of the non-missing average straining scores from all caregiver-observed SBMs during the 4-week Study Intervention Period. If a subject had no caregiver-observed SBMs at baseline, then the baseline straining score reported by the caregiver was missing and, therefore, that subject was not included in the change from baseline straining analysis.

Number of Participants With Adverse Events (AEs)
Up to Week 5

An adverse event (AE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation participant administered a pharmaceutical product which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment. The investigator assesses the relationship of each event to the use of study.

Change From Baseline in 4-week Overall Spontaneous Bowel Movement (SBM) Frequency Rate (SBMs/Week) During the Study Intervention Period of Each Cohort
Baseline (14 days prior to randomization) to Day 29

A SBM was defined as a bowel movement (BM) that occurred in the absence of laxative, suppository, or enema use on the calendar day of the BM or the calendar day before the BM. Each day the caregiver recorded the number of SBMs in the last 24 hours in an electronic diary (eDiary). The SBM frequency rate (SBMs/week) during the analysis period for each participant was calculated as \[(total number of SBMs in the analysis period/number of days in the analysis period)\*7\]. Baseline value was based on values collected 14 days before randomization up to randomization. Change from Baseline was calculated as the SBM frequency rate during the 4-week treatment period - SBM frequency rate at Baseline. A positive change from Baseline indicates improvement.

Change From Baseline in 4-week Stool Consistency Reported by the Caregiver During the Study Intervention Period of Each Cohort
Baseline (14 days prior to randomization) to Day 29

The caregiver rated and recorded in an eDiary the consistency of the stool for each bowel movement using the Bristol Stool Form 7-point scale where: 1=Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass); 2=Sausage-shaped, but lumpy; 3=Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface; 4=Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft; 5=Soft blobs with clear cut edges (easy to pass); 6=Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool; 7=Watery, no solid pieces. Entirely liquid. Baseline value was based on values collected 14 days before randomization up to randomization. A participant's stool consistency score for the treatment period was the average of the nonmissing consistency scores from the BMs recorded by the caregiver during the 4-week treatment period.

Change From Baseline in 4-week Straining Reported by the Caregiver During the Study Intervention Period of Each Cohort
Baseline (14 days prior to randomization) to Day 29

The caregiver rated and recorded in an eDiary the amount of straining they observed when the child passed the BM (1=Not at all; 2=Yes a little; 3=Yes a lot; I don't know). Baseline value was based on values collected 14 days before randomization up to randomization. A participant's straining score for the treatment period was the average of the nonmissing straining scores from the BMs recorded by the caregiver during the 4-week treatment period. A negative change from Baseline indicates improvement.

Percentage of Days With Fecal Incontinence During the Study Intervention Period (for Participants Who Have Acquired Toileting Skills During the Daytime and Nighttime or Acquired Toileting Skills During Daytime Only) Within Each Cohort
29 Days

Each day the caregiver recorded in an eDiary if the child had a bowel movement accident (Yes; No; I don't know). The percentage of days with fecal incontinence for the treatment period was the average of the nonmissing incidences of fecal incontinence recorded by the caregiver during the 4-week treatment period.

Percentage of Participants With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Treatment-emergent Serious Adverse Events (TESAEs)
First dose of study drug intervention to within 1 week of last dose (Up to 45 days)

An Adverse Event (AE) is any untoward medical occurrence in a participant or clinical investigation participant administered a pharmaceutical product and which does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this study intervention. An AE can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding, for example), symptom, or disease. A Serious Adverse Event (SAE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that: results in death, is immediately life-threatening, requires in-patient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, and/or causes a congenital anomaly/birth defect. A TEAE is an AE that begins or worsens after receiving study drug. Safety Population included all participants in the Randomized Population who received at least 1 dose of double-blind study intervention.

Secondary Endpoints

Change From Baseline in 12-week Stool Consistency Observed by the Primary Caregiver During the Double-blind Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 12
Change From Baseline in 12-week Straining Observed by the Primary Caregiver During the Double-blind Study Intervention Period
Baseline to Week 12
Change From Baseline in 12-week Proportion of Days With Fecal Incontinence During the Double-blind Study Intervention Period (for Those With Toileting Skills)
Baseline to Week 12
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Study Design & Arms

AllocationRANDOMIZED
MaskingQUADRUPLE
ModelSEQUENTIAL
PurposeTREATMENT

Treatment Arms

ArmTypeDescription
Part 1: Placebo for LinaclotidePLACEBO_COMPARATORParticipants received placebo for linaclotide orally once daily (QD) for 12 weeks.
Part 1: LinaclotideEXPERIMENTALParticipants received 72 µg linaclotide orally once daily (QD) for 12 weeks.
Part 2: LinaclotideEXPERIMENTALParticipants who received 72 µg linaclotide or placebo in Part 1 of this study or who entered Part 2 of this study from Study LIN-MD-67 (NCT04110145) were assigned to receive open-label linaclotide 72 µg orally once daily (QD) for 24 weeks at the start of Part 2.
FC Participants: PlaceboEXPERIMENTALPlacebo single dose, once daily at approximately the same time each day, 30 minutes before any meal.
FC Participants: Linaclotide 72 μgEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 72 μg single dose, once daily at approximately the same time each day, 30 minutes before any meal.
IBS-C Participants: Linaclotide 145 μgEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 145 μg single dose, once daily at approximately the same time each day, 30 minutes before any meal.
IBS-C Participants: Linaclotide 290 μgEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 290 μg single dose, once daily at approximately the same time each day, 30 minutes before any meal
Part 1, Linaclotide Dose AEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide Dose A capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily for 4 weeks
Part 1, Linaclotide Dose BEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide Dose B capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily for 4 weeks
Part 1, Linaclotide Dose CEXPERIMENTALLinaclotide Dose C capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily for 4 weeks
Part 2, LinaclotideEXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive Linaclotide capsules mixed with water and administered orally in Part 2 for 4 weeks.
Part 2, PlaceboEXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive placebo capsules mixed with water and administered orally in Part 2 for 4 weeks.
Cohort 1 (Linaclotide 18 μg)EXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 18 microgram (μg), capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily in fasted state (30 minutes before any meal) for the 4-week Study Intervention Period.
Cohort 2 (Linaclotide 36 μg)EXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 36 μg, capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily in fasted state (30 minutes before any meal) for the 4-week Study Intervention Period.
Cohort 3 (Linaclotide 72 μg)EXPERIMENTALLinaclotide 72 μg, capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily in fasted state (30 minutes before any meal) for the 4-week Study Intervention Period.
Final Cohort (Linaclotide 72 μg)EXPERIMENTALLinaclotide at the highest dose tested/determined to be safe (72 μg), capsules, mixed with water and administered orally, once daily in fasted state (30 minutes before any meal) for the 4-week Study Intervention Period.
Placebo PooledPLACEBO_COMPARATORMatching placebo, orally, once daily in fasted state (30 minutes before any meal) for the 4-week Study Intervention Period pooled from Cohorts 1, 2, 3, and Final Cohort.

Interventions

NameTypeDescription
Placebo for LinaclotideDRUGCapsule; oral
LinaclotideDRUGCapsule; oral
PlaceboDRUGMatching placebo
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Eligibility Criteria

Age Range2 Years to 5 Years
SexALL
Healthy VolunteersNo
Study Sites48

Inclusion Criteria: * Caregiver/parent/guardian/legally authorized representative (LAR) is willing and able to comply with procedures required in this protocol, prior to the initiation of any screening or study-specific procedures. In addition, the caregiver/parent/guardian/LAR who will be completi...

Countries:United StatesBulgariaNetherlandsUnited KingdomBelgiumCanadaEstoniaGermanyIsraelItalyPolandPuerto RicoSpainUkraineCroatiaHungarySerbia
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Frequently asked questions about Linaclotide

What is linaclotide used for in functional constipation?

Linaclotide is a small molecule developed by AbbVie Inc. (ticker ABBV) for functional constipation. It is being studied in pediatric populations, including children from 6 months to 17 years of age. The clinical program includes four completed trials that enrolled a total of 615 participants across multiple countries.

What does linaclotide target?

Linaclotide targets GUCY2C, also known as guanylate cyclase C. It acts as an agonist at this receptor. By binding to and activating GUCY2C, linaclotide increases cyclic GMP, which can stimulate fluid secretion and transit in the gastrointestinal tract. This mechanism underlies its development for functional constipation.

Who is developing linaclotide?

Linaclotide is being developed by AbbVie Inc., which trades under the ticker ABBV. AbbVie is the sponsor of the clinical trials evaluating linaclotide in pediatric functional constipation and related conditions.

What phase is linaclotide in for functional constipation?

Linaclotide is in Phase 3 development for functional constipation. The program includes completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials. It is an investigational agent and has not been approved for this pediatric indication. The trials have been completed, and no active trials are currently listed.

What clinical trials is linaclotide in for functional constipation?

Linaclotide has been studied in four completed trials: NCT05760313 (Phase 2, ages 6 months to under 2 years), NCT05652205 (Phase 3, ages 2 to 5 years), NCT04110145 (Phase 2, ages 2 to 5 years), and NCT04026113 (Phase 3, ages 6 to 17 years). These trials enrolled a total of 615 participants.