Celasco G, Papa A, Jones R et al.
Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010;31:375–86.
Editor’s note: Heparin has been tested as a treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC), with mixed results. The current authors adopted a novel approach for the trial detailed in this article – they administered the drug orally rather than parenterally, using a proprietary modified-release preparation (parnaparin MMX®; Cosmo Technologies Ltd., Dublin, Ireland) that protects the low-molecular-weight heparin parnaparin from intestinal degradation, and releases it into the colon. The study was preceded by encouraging results in experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease (Dig Dis Sci 2008;53:3170–5) and a pilot, open-label study that showed evidence of benefit in UC (Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;28:581–8).