Scientific Evidence

Background/Objectives: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a widely prevalent chronic disorder of brain–gut interaction which represents a clinical challenge due to its complex underlying causes and the lack of a standardized treatment approach. This cross-sectional research collected real-world data (RWD) on the effectiveness, safety, and usage pattern of a natural substance-based medical device, Colilen IBS, indicated for the treatment of IBS. Methods: Surveys were conducted both in Italy and Germany with 6101 participants, including 4425 patients, 1014 pharmacists, and 662 physicians using a structured GxP web platform that allows voluntary participants to share their experiences with the device. The validated platform was designed to comply with post-market surveillance requirements of EU Regulation 2017/745. Statistical analyses included descriptive evaluations of responses to gauge overall effectiveness and safety of the device. Results: The effectiveness reported with the medical device was judged extreme or great by 79.2% of patients, with 89.2% of whom observed symptom improvement within one month. Both safety and tolerability were rated extreme or great by 90.7% of patients. Healthcare professionals reported a similar rate on the overall effectiveness, with 94.9% of pharmacists and 95.9% of physicians indicating it extreme or great. Similarly, the safety profile was corroborated by nearly all pharmacists (97.0%) and physicians (98.2%) reporting extreme or great satisfaction with both safety and tolerability of the medical device. Conclusions: This research provides RWD supporting the effectiveness and safety of the product for treating IBS. The strong coherence among patients, pharmacists, and physicians in positively rating the device’s performance suggests that this medical device represents a therapeutic option that effectively addresses patient needs while minimizing safety concerns. Continuous RWD collection is essential, as it offers insights into real-world practice and ensures ongoing confirmation of the product’s safety and effectiveness. Ultimately, this will advance IBS patient care by integrating real-world evidence into clinical management.

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and even closely related metabolic and anthropometric alterations require timely intervention to reduce associated risks. Neo-Policaptil^® Gel Retard has shown potential in managing both established MetS and early imbalances. To further characterize its real-world impact, a large post-marketing survey was conducted to assess perceived effectiveness, safety, quality of life (QoL), and patterns of use. Methods: Between December 2021 and May 2025, patients/child caregivers, pharmacists, and physicians completed online questionnaires via a dedicated web platform. Patients reported their direct experience, while healthcare professionals (HCPs) provided observations on patient use. Results: The survey included 2204 patients, 57 child caregivers, 455 physicians, and 387 pharmacists. Overall, 97.7% of patients reported an improvement in their condition. Most physicians (94.3%) and pharmacists (89.1%) rated the overall effectiveness of the product as “good” or “excellent”. The safety profile was judged “good” or “excellent” by 84.4% of patients and by over 93% of HCPs. The product was mainly used as monotherapy or in combination with dietary measures and/or physical exercise. Conclusions: These findings underscore the product’s effectiveness, safety, tolerability, and positive influence on QoL in both adults and children affected by MetS or by related metabolic and anthropometric imbalances.

Background: Hemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a common anorectal condition characterized by symptoms such as bleeding, pain, discomfort and itching. While often underdiagnosed due to patient reluctance to seek care, HD significantly impacts quality of life (QoL). Conservative treatments are preferred for low-grade HD, with increasing interest in natural substance-based therapies. Materials and Methods: A large-scale survey was conducted using a digital platform to collect real-world data (RWD) from patients, pharmacists and physicians. The research assessed perceived effectiveness, safety, tolerability, quality of life (QoL) and usage patterns of NeoFitoroid BioOintment. Quantitative analysis was also performed using a global score (GS) based on Likert scale ratings and their distribution. Results: A total of 2618 participants were included. A strong concordance across the three participating cohorts in the answers provided for all items of the questionnaire was observed. The descriptive analysis revealed high grades of effectiveness, safety and tolerability. Indeed, over 90% of respondents rated the product as “good” or “excellent” in terms of effectiveness and safety. Conclusions: These findings underscore the treatment’s effectiveness, safety, tolerability and positive influence on QoL in HD patients.

Diarrhea continues to be a global health problem as acute diarrhea carries the risk of dehydration, while both acute and chronic diarrhea can significantly affect patients’ quality of life and reduce productivity. The innovative medical device Actitan, which consists of a complex of natural molecules, could be an effective option for the treatment of diarrhea from various causes. The aim of this post-market cross-sectional study was to evaluate the perceived efficacy, safety and usage pattern of the two formulations for adults (Actitan-P) and children (Actitan-F) among patients/child caregivers, physicians and pharmacists. Participants completed online questionnaires with closed multiple-choice questions that were rated on a verbal 5-point Likert scale. These surveys were conducted via the online platform Real World Data, which provides digital questionnaires for patients, doctors and pharmacists. Two separate surveys were conducted for the two formulations, with a total of 2630 participants (1488 participants for Actitan-P and 1142 participants for Actitan-F). Overall, the results indicate a high level of efficacy and safety of the product. In the case of Actitan-F, more than 96% of caregivers rated safety as good or excellent, and over 92% rated efficacy as good or excellent. Actitan-P also received positive feedback: nearly 86% of patients reported good/excellent efficacy, and more than 93% rated safety as good or excellent. These positive evaluations were confirmed by physicians and pharmacists, who also did not report adverse effects. In summary, this study confirms the role of Actitan as a safe and effective option for the treatment of diarrhea of different causes and in different patient groups, including young children.

Aim of this Real World (RW) research was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the vegetal molecular complex ActiMucin in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients with diarrhea predominant (IBS-D), constipation predominant (IBS-C) and mixed (IBS-M) clinical subtypes.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) are very common in the general population. GERD prevalence is considerably high in pregnant women, and it increases at a young age, alongside obesity. Mucosal protective agents (MPAs) are over-the-counter (OTC) treatments for FD and GERD commonly used alone or as add-on therapy to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Real-world data through surveys allow a clinical evaluation of marketed products that also complies with the new regulation on substance-based medical devices (SBMDs).

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate perceived effectiveness, safety, and pattern of usage among patients, physicians, and pharmacists of the natural MPA Poliprotect, as assessed by a validated survey methodology.

Methods: Questionnaire repeatability was first assessed, resulting in the intraclass correlation coefficient agreement level >0.9 in the three validation cohorts of physicians, pharmacists, and patients. All questions were closed multiple-choice, allowing measuring variations in frequency, quality, or magnitude of effect on a 5-point Likert-like verbal scale.

Results: Three different surveys were performed in Italy and Spain on a total of 3,471 physicians, including 77 gastroenterologists, 848 patients, and 146 pharmacists who had an experience with Poliprotect in the previous year. Over 90% of general practitioners (GPs) rated Poliprotect effectiveness as good/excellent in controlling pyrosis, 80% for epigastric pain, and approximately 70% for digestion difficulties. GPs reported Poliprotect as very or extremely useful as an alternative to PPIs (73%) and for pregnancy-associated GERD symptoms (61%), almost unanimously (99.5%) reporting an excellent to good tolerability; 79% of the gastroenterologists answered to be extremely or very satisfied with the improvement of typical GERD symptoms, whereas improvement of dyspepsia and pregnancy- and breast-feeding-associated GERD symptoms was rated as highly satisfactory for 69, 52, and 62%, respectively, among GI specialists. Its use because of painful dyspeptic symptoms was reported by over 80% of patients, who rated symptom relief as excellent/good, and reported a marked quality-of-life improvement in 73% and in 65% of their answers, respectively. The product was used as monotherapy by 63% of patients. 

Conclusion: Large-scale, validated surveys support the safety and effectiveness of Poliprotect in the treatment of common functional upper GI disorders.

The recent passage of European Union (EU) Regulation 2017/745 on medical devices (MDs) has improved the classification of MDs and revised their approval process and the post-marketing evaluation of their safety and effectiveness, promoting transparency and post-marketing oversight in Europe. This new regulation can better ensure patient safety and provide new opportunities for therapeutic innovation. In addition, the new regulations include and define MDs made of substances or of combinations of substances (substance-based MDs: SBMDs). The impressive growth of the MD, including SBMDs, that have been marketed over the recent years has likely been a relevant factor fueling this change. MD regulation requires a major effort from both industry and regulatory bodies to comply with its provisions. Manufacturers should produce sufficient clinical evidence that an MD, under normal conditions of use, provides adequate performance and that the foreseeable risks and frequency of adverse events (AEs) have an acceptable minimum rate, taking into account the benefits provided. We describe how we implemented the post-marketing surveillance (PMS) system of SBMDs to properly deal with post-market monitoring and confirmation of safety and performance, including AEs and the benefit–risk evaluation, as required by the 2017/745 Regulation. The two pillars of this novel system are: 1) passive vigilance, i.e., spontaneous reporting and 2) active post-marketing clinical follow-up (PMCF) activities, which systematically gather, record, and analyze real-world data (RWD) on performance, quality, function, use, tolerability, and safety of an MD, collected through a dedicated, structured web platform. Active PMCF is achieved through a process of generation, validation, and administration of digital questionnaires to all stakeholders, i.e., patients, physicians, both general practitioners and specialists, and pharmacists. The technology, potential use, advantages, and limitations of this large source of RWD are also discussed.