Long-Term Therapy With Teduglutide in Parenteral Support-Dependent Patients With Short Bowel Syndrome: A Case Series

To review all cases of parenteral support (PS)-dependent patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) treated with teduglutide (Gattex, Shire) and to evaluate its efficacy and adverse effects.

This is a retrospective descriptive cohort of SBS patients treated with teduglutide. Demographics, bowel length, primary diagnosis, PS volume/duration, teduglutide dose, and side effects were collected prospectively.

Six SBS patients (4 females, 2 males) received teduglutide. Mean age was 46.3 years (range 26-71). SBS etiology was vascular (n = 3), multiple resections (n = 2), and strangulation (n = 1). Length of residual small bowel was between 30-120 cm. The bowel anatomy was colon present (n = 3) and stoma n = 3 (ileostomy, 2; colostomy, 1). PS duration was 1.5-14 years. Weekly PS volume was mean 7.7 liters/week (1-14). Number of PS days per week ranged 1-7 days. Mean duration of teduglutide therapy was 31 months (24-36). All patients achieved ≥20% reduction in PS weekly volume within 6 months. PS was weaned in all patients. Adverse effects included abdominal bloat/discomfort (n = 3), stoma enlargement (n = 3), bowel obstruction (n = 1), and congestive heart failure (n = 1).

All PS-dependent SBS patients treated with teduglutide were weaned off PS. Patients with colon in continuity and lower PS weekly volume requirements were weaned off PS sooner than those with end-stomas and higher PS volume requirements. Teduglutide was well tolerated. Additional clinical studies of teduglutide in SBS patients with marginal PS requirements are needed.