Zelnorm, formerly known as Zelmac, treats irritable bowel disorder (IBS)--a combination of constipation, stomach pain and other severe symptoms that affects up to 15% of the population, mostly women.

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In the FDA press release, the FDA states that according to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 15.3 million people are affected by IBS, and IBS-C is a subtype characterized mainly by abdominal pain and by hard or lumpy stools at least 25 percent of the time and loose or watery stools less than 25 percent of the time.

FORBES: FDA Approves New Drug For Irritable Bowel Disorder (Update)

GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK - news - people ), the world's second-biggest drugmaker, developed a medicine called Lotronex that treated IBS marked by diarrhea, but the drug was withdrawn from the market for safety reasons.

FORBES: Novartis' Potential Blockbuster Zelnorm Approved

The FDA has announced that it has approved a new drug to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in adults.

FORBES: FDA Approves New Drug For Irritable Bowel Disorder (Update)