The price for IBS treatment hasn't been determined, he said. A decision from the Food and Drug Administration is expected in March, said William Forbes, executive vice president and chief development officer for Salix. Salix Pharmaceuticals, which markets rifaximin under the name Xifaxan in the U.S., is seeking to expand its use to IBS. In the U.S., rifaximin is approved for traveler's diarrhea and for a complication of liver disease. It's also been safely used elsewhere for more than two decades. Unlike other antibiotics, this one is not absorbed very well so it stays in the gut and is less likely to develop resistance. Pimentel and his colleagues tested rifaximin (ri-FAX'-i-men).
Some scientists think an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut is behind the problem, but studies testing that have had mixed results. Patients are typically told to change their diet, reduce stress and take medicines or fiber supplements to ease symptoms. What causes the disorder has been a mystery sensitivity to certain foods or stress are among the theories. Main symptoms are abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea or constipation, or both. Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common gastrointestinal ailment, affecting as many as 1 in 5 Americans. Mark Pimentel, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who led the research in the U.S. But the fact that relief extended beyond the two weeks of treatment suggests that "we've actually touched on the cause of IBS, as opposed to just covering up symptoms," said Dr. Experts want to see if that translates into a longer term benefit.
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