Elobixibat

Elobixibat is an inhibitor of the ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT),^[1] undergoing development in clinical trials for the treatment of chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

Elobixibat

Clinical data
Routes of administration	By mouth
ATC code	A06AX09 (WHO) QA06AX09 (WHO)
Identifiers
IUPAC name N-{(2R)-2-[({[3,3-Dibutyl-7-(methylsulfanyl)-1,1-dioxido-5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,5-benzothiazepin-8-yl]oxy}acetyl)amino]-2-phenylacetyl}glycine
CAS Number	439087-18-0
PubChem CID	9939892
DrugBank	DB12486
ChemSpider	8115513
UNII	865UEK4EJC
KEGG	D10796
ChEMBL	ChEMBL3039515
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID00195985
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C36H45N3O7S2
Molar mass	695.89 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O=C(O)CNC(=O)[C@@H](c1ccccc1)NC(=O)COc4cc3c(N(c2ccccc2)CC(CS3(=O)=O)(CCCC)CCCC)cc4SC
InChI InChI=InChI=1S/C36H45N3O7S2/c1-4-6-18-36(19-7-5-2)24-39(27-16-12-9-13-17-27)28-20-30(47-3)29(21-31(28)48(44,45)25-36)46-23-32(40)38-34(26-14-10-8-11-15-26)35(43)37-22-33(41)42/h8-17,20-21,34H,4-7,18-19,22-25H2,1-3H3,(H,37,43)(H,38,40)(H,41,42)/t34-/m1/s1 Key:XFLQIRAKKLNXRQ-UUWRZZSWSA-N

Mechanism of action

Elobixibat is an inhibitor of IBAT, which is an alternative name for the apical sodium bile acid transporter (ASBT) encoded by the SLC10A2 gene. ASBT/IBAT is a bile acid:sodium symporter responsible for the reuptake of bile acids in the ileum, the initial step in their enterohepatic circulation. By inhibiting the uptake of bile acids, elobixibat increases the bile acid concentration in the gut, and this accelerates intestinal passage and softens the stool. Following several phase II studies, it is now undergoing phase III trials.^[2]

Drug development

The drug was developed by Albireo AB, who licensed it to Ferring Pharmaceuticals for further development and marketing.^[3] Albireo has partnered with Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals, giving the Japan-based company the rights to further develop the drug and market it throughout Asia.^[4] In India, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories launched Elobixibat with brand name Bixibat in October 2024.^[5]