Shanghai hospital issues China's first adult prescription for Teduglutide

Doctors at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital on Monday issued the first adult prescription in China for Takeda's innovative medicine, injectable Teduglutide, to treat short bowel syndrome.

The recipient of this prescription was a 54-year-old patient from the municipality's neighboring Jiangsu province, who has been battling Crohn's disease, a chronic illness that causes inflammation and irritation in digestive tract, for two decades.

Over the years, the patient surnamed Wen has undergone multiple surgeries to remove parts of her small and large intestines, leaving her with only 70 centimeters of her small intestine remaining.

Li Yousheng, chief of general surgery at the hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said the prescription marked a milestone in providing relief to adult short bowel syndrome patients nationwide.

The country's first prescription of the medicine for a child was issued in December 2024.

Yao Danhua, the doctor in charge of Wen's case, expressed hope that the use of this innovative medication will help her break her reliance on parenteral nutrition, enabling her to return to a normal life.

While the small intestine of a healthy adult is between 3 and 8.5 meters long, short bowel syndrome patients often have small intestine lengths of less than 2 meters, sometimes even less than 1 meter. Currently, after intestinal surgery, almost all short bowel syndrome patients require parenteral nutrition support to maintain nutritional needs.

However, long-term parenteral nutrition therapy can lead to severe, life-threatening complications and adversely impact quality of life in various ways. The launch and clinical use of Teduglutide in China have introduced a new treatment option for patients. Studies show that the medicine can enhance intestinal absorption capacity, and accelerate or improve intestinal adaptation, according to Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda.

So far, the therapy has been included in public supplementary medical insurance in 20 provinces and cities, including Anhui, Shanghai, and Shaanxi, enhancing its accessibility and improving patient compliance. This initiative made it more affordable for a larger number of patients to access this treatment, offering hope for improved therapeutic outcomes and enhanced quality of life for individuals battling the disease.