Efficacy and safety of a novel sodium picosulfate oral tablet in a randomized controlled trial for bowel preparation

Abstract

BACKGROUND Oral sulfate tablets (OSTs) are commonly used in South Korea, but the requirement to ingest 28 tablets and concerns regarding renal and gastrointestinal safety may reduce patient compliance. DWJ1609 is a novel OST formulation that contains sodium picosulfate and 25% less sulfate, requiring only 20 tablets. This modification is expected to improve tolerability while maintaining cleansing efficacy. AIM To evaluate the bowel cleansing efficacy and safety of DWJ1609 compared with conventional OSTs and to assess adverse events. METHODS This prospective, randomized, single-blinded (investigator), multicenter, phase III clinical trial was conducted at seven university hospitals in South Korea. The primary endpoint was the non-inferiority of DWJ1609 based on the proportion of participants achieving a “successful” grade A or B on the Harefield Cleansing Scale, as assessed by independent central readers. Safety was monitored through adverse events and laboratory evaluations. RESULTS Overall, 215 participants were randomized, and 200 were included in the per-protocol analysis (DWJ1609: 99; OST: 101). Successful bowel cleansing was achieved in 96.97% of the DWJ1609 group, which was non-inferior to the OST group (100.00%), with a difference of 3.03%. DWJ1609 showed significantly higher tolerability, with lower incidence of nausea, headache, and dizziness, although vomiting occurred slightly more frequently. CONCLUSION DWJ1609 demonstrated non-inferior bowel cleansing efficacy, improved tolerability, and a favorable safety profile compared with conventional. DWJ1609 has the potential to improve compliance and overall quality of colonoscopy. ©The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.