FDA Approves Colonoscopy Prep Drink That Tastes Like a Sports Drink
Colonoscopy prep just got a little easier.
The FDA recently approved a new prep drink that claims to taste better than any other currently on the market.
The new solution is called Suflave, and it reportedly tastes like a lemon-lime sports drink.
In a head-to-head study that pitted Suflave against Sebela Pharmaceuticals' SUPREP? Bowel Prep Kit, the majority of patients said that Suflave "tastes like a sports drink," and 79 percent of them "found the taste neutral to very pleasant compared to SUPREP," per a press release shared by the manufacturer.
Additionally, 87 percent of patients found Suflave to be "tolerable to very easy to consume," and 80 percent of patients reported that they would ask for Suflave for a subsequent colonoscopy.
Suflave is said to be just as effective as the products that came before it, but because it doesn't taste like the others, doctors are hopeful it may increase patients' willingness to schedule a colonoscopy–a routine procedure the CDC recommends healthy people aged 45 and up get once every ten years as a way to screen for colon cancer. Those with inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), a history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps may be recommended for earlier and more frequent screenings.
"Patients frequently struggle with the taste and volume of traditional bowel preparations – and fear related to the preparation can also negatively impact patient willingness to undergo follow-up colonoscopy if it is indicated," Douglas K. Rex, M.D., distinguished professor emeritus at Indiana University School of Medicine and a full time practicing clinical gastroenterologist, said in a statement.
Dr. Rex explained that he hopes the "welcomed flavor" of Suflave will help reduce preparation hesitancy, "giving more people the chance to feel comfortable during preparation and getting a successful and effective procedure."
And while colonoscopies aren't the only means of screening for colon cancer, as there are stool tests and imaging that can be done, the procedure is still regarded as "the gold standard" for early detection–which is key when treating colon cancer.
Suflave will be available by prescription to patients in the U.S. beginning in early August.