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calcium polycarbophil (Polyful / Colonel)

✓ Approved

Astellas Pharma · Small Molecule · Small Molecule

What is calcium polycarbophil?

calcium polycarbophil is a small molecule developed by Astellas Pharma. It is approved for therapeutic indications via oral (po).

Drug Profile

Brand NamesPolyful, Colonel
CompanyAstellas Pharma
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
RouteOral (PO)
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Astellas Pharma

Therapeutic Indications

calcium polycarbophil is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Gastrointestinal disordersIrritable bowel syndrome✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedOsteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA2026-07-17

Dietary and supplemental calcium intake and bone changes during antiresorptive osteoporosis treatment in older women: a longitudinal observational study.

Papageorgiou Maria M, Gugler Yvan Y, Ferrari Serge S, Rizzoli René R et al.

Calcium supplements are often prescribed with osteoporosis medications without considering dietary adequacy. In calcium-replete older women, calcium supplements had little effect on the response to antiresorptives, whereas low protein intake blunted their benefits. Calcium supplementation may be unnecessary when intake is adequate, and nutrition should be optimized for osteoporosis treatment. Osteoporosis medications (OM) are commonly prescribed with calcium supplements (CaS) without considering dietary adequacy. We investigated whether calcium and protein intakes influence the effect of OM on total hip bone mineral density (BMD) and strength in calcium-replete women. Data from 586 women (median age 67 years) from the Geneva Retirees Cohort were analyzed: 101 on menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), 67 on antiresorptives (AR) (bisphosphonates, denosumab or raloxifene), and 418 without OM. Annual changes in total hip BMD, strength, and structure were assessed over a median 3.5 years using 2D/3D-DXA and finite element analysis. Calcium and protein intakes were assessed by food frequency questionnaire; CaS use was recorded at baseline and follow-up. Total calcium intake (diet + supplements) was 1503 mg/day; 71% women met recommendations (≥ 1200 mg/day), 51% used CaS, and 70% vitamin D. MHT or AR increased total hip BMD and strength versus no OM. Neither total calcium intake (above or below 1200 mg/day) nor CaS use significantly affected bone outcomes. However, in women with low calcium intake (< 800 mg/day), no difference in changes of BMD or bone strength was observed between women with and without OM in the absence of CaS. In women with protein intake < 0.8 g/kg/day, AR effects were blunted, with reduced improvements in trabecular BMD (P = 0.009) and total hip strength (P = 0.040). In calcium-replete older women, protein intake rather than CaS influences total hip bone changes with OM. These findings question routine CaS in women with adequate calcium intake and emphasize the importance of sufficient protein intake for optimal osteoporosis management. GERICO http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11865958.

PMID 42463975
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PubMedBMC cardiovascular disorders2026-07-17

Thoracic vertebral CT-based bone health indicator from coronary calcium scoring: correlation with CAD and prognostic impact.

Onoda Naoki N, Nakamura Satoshi S, Hashimoto Naoki N, Araki Suguru S et al.

Lower thoracic vertebral attenuation measured on coronary artery calcium scoring images may provide an opportunistic computed tomography-based bone health indicator (CT-BHI). This study evaluated the association of CT-BHI with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity and all-cause mortality. We retrospectively analyzed 767 patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and coronary calcium scoring. Individuals with prior myocardial infarction or revascularization were excluded. CT attenuation was measured in two lower thoracic vertebrae on calcium scoring images, and their mean value was defined as CT-BHI. Patients were categorized into tertiles by CT-BHI (higher, intermediate, lower). The lower CT-BHI group had significantly higher calcium scores (median [IQR]: 146 [4-548]) than the higher (25 [0-277]) and intermediate (39 [0-269]) groups (p < 0.001). CCTA findings revealed a significant difference in CAD severity distribution among the three groups (p = 0.037), with the low CT-BHI group exhibiting a lower prevalence of normal coronary arteries. Combining low CT-BHI with high calcium score enhanced risk stratification (p < 0.05). In multivariate Cox analysis, CT-BHI remained an independent predictor of mortality after adjustment for calcium score (p < 0.05). Adding CT-BHI to calcium scores significantly improved risk classification (continuous net reclassification improvement, 0.263; p = 0.041). CT-BHI derived from routine calcium scoring images may provide a dual-purpose opportunistic marker for integrated cardiovascular and skeletal risk assessment without additional radiation exposure or cost. Further studies are warranted to validate CT-BHI against standardized bone density measurements and determine its role in improving clinical management. Not applicable.

PMID 42464155
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PubMedResearch (Washington, D.C.)2026-07-17

M2 Macrophages Attenuate AQP2+ Collecting Duct Cell Apoptosis via the TRAF1-TRAF2 Complex to Suppress Randall's Plaque Formation.

Tang Liang L, Liao Zhangcheng Z, Gao Meng M, Liu Minghui M et al.

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stones are common and recur frequently, yet effective pharmacological prevention is limited. Randall's plaques (RPs), calcium deposits on renal papillae, act as anchoring sites for CaOx crystal growth, but the cellular origin and immunoregulatory mechanism underlying early calcium deposition remain unclear. Here, we found that early calcium deposition was partially localized to the renal interstitium surrounding aquaporin 2 (AQP2)-labeled collecting duct cells with apoptotic phenotype, and inhibiting high calcium-induced apoptosis of AQP2+ cells markedly reduced cell layer calcium deposition. Given the regulatory role of macrophages in renal stone formation, we revealed that M2 macrophages protected AQP2+ cells by delivering TRAF2 via exosomes. Mechanistically, exosomal TRAF2 interacted with intracellular TRAF1 to form a stable complex, which mutually inhibited their ubiquitin-mediated degradation by excluding the shared E3 ubiquitin ligase CBLC. This complex activated downstream nuclear factor κB1 (NF-κB1) and NF-κB2 signaling. NF-κB1 enhanced TRAF1 transcription, whereas NF-κB2 increased BCL2 expression while suppressing BAX and cleaved-PARP1, thereby limiting apoptosis and subsequent calcium deposition. Based on these findings, we developed M2 exosome-loaded, AQP2+ cell membrane-coated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (Exo@A-P) for renal-targeted delivery. Exo@A-P treatment reduced collecting duct apoptosis and calcium deposition in hypercalciuria and renal calcified mice (Umod-/- ) without detectable toxicity, potentially supporting a targeted nanotherapeutic strategy to prevent early RP formation by utilizing TRAF2-rich exosome from M2 macrophages.

PMID 42465799
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PubMedbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026-07-17

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors control in vivo striatal calcium and the updating of action policy.

Legaria Alex A AA, Barrett Mason R MR, Czarny Jordyn E JE, Kravitz Alexxai V AV

Animals must execute learned behaviors and update them when outcomes change, yet the neural substrates controlling this phenomenon are not fully understood. Here, we show that N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors (NMDARs) in the dorsomedial striatum are necessary for learning from previously rewarded actions. Moreover, blocking of striatal NMDARs almost fully abolished striatal calcium dynamics, but not action potential activity, suggesting a unique function of NMDAR-driven striatal calcium activity in updating action policy.

PMID 42465504
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PubMedFrontiers in endocrinology2026-07-17

Efficacy and safety of parathyroid hormone analogs therapy on hypoparathyroidism: a meta-analysis.

Li Siting S, Zhang Yuanfang Y, Zhao Li L, Ma Chao C

To assess the efficacy and safety of parathyroid hormone(PTH) analogs alone as compared with the conventional therapy on HypoPTH, and assess its emphasis on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Database (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library) were systematically searched until February 30, 2026. The primary outcomes were serum calcium and serum phosphate, while the secondary outcomes included 24-hour urinary calcium excretion, serum 25(OH)D, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, calcium phosphate product, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), adverse events, and HRQoL. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 17.0. Eleven studies were included. Compared to conventional therapy, PTH analogs therapy showed no difference in serum calcium (MD = -0.02 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.14 to 0.11 mmol/L), serum phosphorus (MD = 0.08 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.20 mmol/L) and 24-hour urinary calcium excretion (MD = 1.00 mmol; 95% CI, -1.84 to 3.84 mmol). PTH analogs decreased 25(OH) vitamin D, increased 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D and eGFR. Additionally, PTH analogs therapy significantly improved HRQoL as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey Questionnaire (MD = -7.35; 95% CI, -8.37 to -6.33). In addition to the comparable control of serum calcium and serum phosphorus levels to conventional therapy, limited data indicate that PTH analogs treatment may be better in regulating the serum vitamin D and maintaining the eGFR for patients with HypoPTH. PTH analogs therapy also improves patients' HRQoL. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD420251089112.

PMID 42466353
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PubMedJournal of the American Heart Association2026-07-17

Sex and Racial Concordance in Referrals for Coronary Artery Calcium Screening: Insight From a Pilot Study at an Urban Academic Center.

Miller Samuel S, Simpson John J, Flores Chloie C, Ritz Ethan E et al.

PMID 42466522
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