Olsalazine does not increase the bile acid losses in subjects with a permanent ileostomy.

Olsalazine is a novel compound presently under development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Olsalazine sometimes causes diarrhoea; one of the possible explanations could be an increased load of bile acids in the colon. Bile acid ileostomy output was therefore measured enzymatically and after oral administration of tauro-23-[75Se]selena-25-homocholic acid (SeHCAT) in eight subjects during intake of placebo or olsalazine. The bile acid output showed great individual variations during both treatment periods, but there was no indication that olsalazine interfered with bile acid handling in the terminal ileum.