'Oral Pill Instead of Water' Bowel Preparation Orapang "Proven Safety for the Super-Aged"

Korea Pharmbio announced on the 16th that clinical results show its pill-type bowel cleanser, Orapang, is effective and safe even for the super-elderly aged 70 and above.

Korea Pharmbio's pill-type bowel cleanser 'Orapang'
Photo by Korea Pharmbio

The clinical results were presented at the International Meeting of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (IMKASID 2024), held in Yeouido, Seoul, from the 11th to the 13th. According to a presentation by Professor Cha Jaemyung of the Department of Gastroenterology at Kyung Hee University Hospital on the 12th, it was confirmed that Orapang is superior in patient tolerability and is effective and safe compared to polyethylene glycol and ascorbic acid (PEG/Asc) 2ℓ solution for super-elderly patients aged 70 and above.

Bowel cleansers are medications taken beforehand to thoroughly empty the intestines to facilitate smooth and accurate colonoscopy. Existing bowel cleansers had to be mixed with 2 to 4 liters of water. During this process, patients often experienced discomfort due to the distinctive taste and smell or failed to take the medication properly, resulting in incomplete colonoscopy. Orapang is the world’s first pill-type bowel cleanser developed by Korea Pharmbio to solve these issues.

In this clinical trial involving a total of 254 participants, bowel cleansing with Orapang was superior, achieving 55.7% overall colon cleansing and 66.1% segmental cleansing, compared to 28.4% and 38.8% with the conventional solution. The polyp detection rate (59.1%) and adenoma detection rate (54.8%) were also significantly higher with Orapang, and patient tolerability was generally better. Conversely, the incidence of abdominal pain was markedly lower in the Orapang group at 0.9%, compared to 7.8% in the conventional solution group.

Nam Bonggil, Chairman of Korea Pharmbio, said, “We are pleased that various clinical results on Orapang were shared at this prestigious academic conference,” adding, “The research findings that Orapang is safe even for the super-elderly aged 70 and above, beyond those in their 60s, are very encouraging and will be a great driving force for future research and development activities.”