Comparison of Colesevelam Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) Powder For Oral Suspension Versus Generic Cholestyramine Through Use of the Bile Acid Sequestrant Acceptability (BASA) Scale

In 2009, colesevelam HCl was approved as a powder formulation. Little objective evidence exists comparing the acceptability of colesevelam HCl powder for oral suspension formulation versus other bile acid sequestrant powder formulations. A Bile Acid Sequestrant Acceptability (BASA) Scale was developed and validated as an instrument to compare the acceptability of different bile acid sequestrant preparations

Inclusion criteria

• Men or women 18-70 years of age
• In general good health (defined as study participants who are medically stable, meet protocol criteria, but who may also have non-exclusionary ongoing medical conditions).
• Subjects are capable of giving informed consent, or if appropriate, have an acceptable surrogate capable of giving consent on the subject's behalf.
• Subjects are willing and readily able to be contacted for post-study safety phone call assessments one to seven days after the single study visit.

Exclusion criteria

• Prior intolerance to bile acid sequestrants
• Known Phenylketonuria. Colesevelam (Welchol) for Oral Suspension contains 48 mg phenylalanine per 3.75 gram dose.
• Women who are either pregnant, or who are not practicing any form of birth control.
• Prior gastrointestinal surgery
• History of ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms (indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea)
• History of bowel obstruction, malabsorption, or irritable bowel syndrome
• History of esophageal disease
• Current or past history of gallbladder disease
• History of pancreatitis
• Subjects enrolled in another experimental (interventional) protocol within the past 30 days prior to visit 1.
• Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus
• Known history of triglyceride levels > 300 mg/dl.
• History of alcohol or drug abuse within 1 year of study entry
• Alcohol intake that exceeds more than 2 units of alcohol drinks per day
• Exposure to bile acid sequestrants (colesevelam HCl, cholestyramine, colestipol within 30 days of visit 1).
• Any other situation in which the Investigator makes the judgment that participation in the study would not be in the best interest of the study participant, or in the best interest of providing reliable study data.