NCT00861562

Clinical Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of the Drug Imescard Compound Water Smartweed Pills

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 56 (actual)
• Sponsor: Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of the drug Imescard water smartweed compound pills in the treatment of patients with chronic constipation and hemorrhoidal disease.

Detailed description

The Imescard compound water smartweed pills are currently registered in Brazil at the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) as a laxative for the treatment of constipation, and as a supporting drug in hemorrhoid treatment. Though water smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides) has been used throughout the years as an antiinflammatory and in hemorrhoidal treatment, there are no reliable pharmacologic and clinical evidence that demonstrate its efficacy. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of the drug Imescard compound water smartweed pills in the treatment of chronic constipation and hemorrhoidal disease in a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Volunteers underwent a clinical evaluation and laboratory exams at enrollment, and 56 patients met the inclusion criteria and agreed to sign the informed consent form. Participants were then randomized into two groups to receive either Imescard pills or placebo, identical in appearance, once at every 8 hours for five days, followed by a 10-day washout period, and then received the other intervention for another 5-day period. Followup visits were performed at day 1, 5, 15, and 19. At the beginning of each intervention period(days 1 and 15), patients were given diaries that included two questionnaires for each day of treatment, concerning constipation and hemorrhoidal symptoms, and received the intervention, unaware of its content. Colonic transit time was assessed at the end of each intervention period (days 5 and 19) through standard radiologic technique, and laboratory exams were taken three days later. Clinical evaluation and adverse effects assessment was performed at every visit by blinded investigator, and patients also fulfilled WHOQOL Brief, for life quality assessment.

Conditions

• Chronic Constipation
• Hemorrhoids

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Imescard water smartweed composed pills	01 pill at every 8 hours for 5 days.
DRUG	Placebo	01 pill at every 8 hours for 5 days, with the exact same appearance as the other intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-04-01
• Primary completion: 2008-10-01
• Completion: 2009-04-01
• First posted: 2009-03-13
• Last updated: 2009-03-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil