Lubiprostone 8 mcg, 24 mcg Suppliers & Bulk Manufacturers

Available Forms: Capsules

Available Strengths: 8 mcg, 24 mcg

Reference Brands: Amitiza (USA/EU)

Category: Gastrointestinal Drugs

Lubiprostone is used to treat chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), constipation in patients using opioids (opioid‑induced constipation, OIC), and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS‑C) in adult women. It works by activating chloride (ClC‑2) channels in the intestinal lining, which increases fluid secretion into the intestines, softens stools, improves motility, and promotes spontaneous bowel movements.

Product Description:

Lubiprostone is a bicyclic fatty acid derived from prostaglandin E1 that activates type-2 chloride channels on the apical membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. Chloride secretion draws sodium and water into the lumen, softening stool and increasing motility. It acts locally, with minimal systemic absorption, and it does not work through opioid pathways — which is why it is effective in opioid-induced constipation.

It is used for chronic idiopathic constipation in adults, opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic non-cancer pain, and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in women. The IBS dose is 8 mcg twice daily; the constipation dose is 24 mcg twice daily. Nausea is the most common adverse effect, and taking it with food reduces it. Diarrhoea, headache and, occasionally, dyspnoea within an hour of dosing are recognised; the dyspnoea usually resolves quickly. It is avoided in mechanical bowel obstruction.

Sourcing notes. Generic soft-gel capsules have been available in the US since 2021, so pricing is competitive there. Registration outside the US and Japan is limited. The oil-filled soft-gel format needs specialised manufacturing and oxygen and light protection of the fill. The two strengths are not interchangeable across indications, so buyers should specify which indication they are supplying for.