The two studies, Echo 1 and Echo 2, which will be conducted at close to 200 sites worldwide, will enroll nearly 1700 patients.
The studies will assess the efficacy and safety of repeated daily doses of elobixibat against placebo over a period of up to 26 weeks.
Elobixibat acts locally in the gut with minimal systemic exposure to improve the amount of luminal bile acids in the colon by a partial inhibition of the Ileal Bile Acid Transporter (IBAT), increasing colonic fluid secretion and motility.
Ferring Clinical and Product Development executive vice president Pascal Danglas said that the CIC causes significant discomfort to sufferers and seriously impacts their quality of life.