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Colesevelam

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Colesevelam does in the body

As the bile acid pool becomes depleted, the hepatic enzyme, cholesterol 7-α-hydroxylase, is upregulated, which increases the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.

From the FDA-approved label: Primary Hyperlipidemia : Colesevelam hydrochloride, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in colesevelam hydrochloride for oral suspension, is a non-absorbed, lipid-lowering polymer that binds bile acids in the intestine, impeding their reabsorption. This causes an increased demand for cholesterol in the liver cells, resulting in the dual effect of increasing transcription and activity of the cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, and increasing the number of hepatic LDL receptors.

Why people take it. LDL-C levels in boys and postmenarchal girls, 10 to 17 years of age, with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) who are unable t

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
RNAWiki has not recorded a supervision or regulatory status for this substance.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as polymer.

    FDA substance registry · P4SG24WI5Q · read 2026-08-29

Where each sentence above came from

A person wrote this explanation into the record, with the studies named in the path below.

The recorded use, written for a reader without medical training. Not signed off.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 125 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Biomarker

A biomarker is a number from a test that stands in for something about health.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A biomarker is like a fuel gauge.

Where that stops being true. A gauge is wired to the tank. Many biomarkers are only loosely tied to health.

What people get wrong. A better number is read as a better life. Several medicines improved a number and helped nobody.

A measurable indicator used as a substitute for a clinical outcome of interest.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 35 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
Blood sugarNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Only a number moved9 registered test measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
CholesterolNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Only a number moved4 registered test measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Blood sugar
change in hba1c from week 0 to week 16 endpoint; fasting endogenous glucose production; fasting plasma glucose; fasting plasma glucose clearance; appearance rate of oral glucose; postprandial endogenous glucose production; whole body glycolytic disposal of oral glucose; who achieve target hba1c and ldl cholesterol
Cholesterol
ldl c from the start of the study; ldl cholesterol; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; who achieve target hba1c and ldl cholesterol

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.
Only a number moved
9 registered test measure.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.
Waiting for a reviewer
Who was studied is listed further down the page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

To evaluate safety and tolerability of colesevelam hydrochloride as add-on therapy

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00151762
How many people
780
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Change From Baseline in Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at Week 24

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00789750
How many people
562
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Percent Change of Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) From Baseline to 16 Weeks When Given as Initial Therapy to Drug-naïve, Diabetic Subjects.

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00570739
How many people
502
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

To assess the additional lowering of HbA1c achieved by addition of colesevelam hydrochloride to current antidiabetic therapy

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00147758
How many people
400
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Percent Change in Hemoglobin A1c

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00789737
How many people
357
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

To assess the additional lowering of HbA1C achieved by addition of colesevelam hydrochloride to current antidiabetic therapy

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00147719
How many people
300
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event No evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.No registered study measures this.
  2. What a body can do day to day No evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.No registered study measures this.
  3. Measured performance No evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.No registered study measures this.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life No evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.No registered study measures this.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.16 registered measures of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals No evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.No animal record is stored.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • ldl c from the start of the study
  • ldl cholesterol
  • change in hba1c from week 0 to week 16 endpoint
  • fasting endogenous glucose production
  • hemoglobin a1c
  • hemoglobin a1c at week 24
  • fasting plasma glucose
  • fasting plasma glucose clearance
  • appearance rate of oral glucose
  • postprandial endogenous glucose production

and 6 more.

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (19)
  • fasting gluconeogenesis
  • fasting glycogenolysis
  • colonic transit geometric center at 24 hours
  • total disposition index
  • glp 1
  • stool frequency
  • stool consistency
  • glp 1 secretion
  • pk of ee and net auc from time 0 extrapolated to infinity
  • pk of ee and net terminal phase half life
  • pk of levothyroxine auc0 t
  • pk of levothyroxine auc0 inf
  • pk of levothyroxine cmax
  • pk of levothyroxine tmax
  • pk of levothyroxine t1/2
  • drug safety
  • retention
  • adherence to study drug
  • acceptability

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Colesevelam hydrochloride is a bile acid sequestrant indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to: reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with primary hyperlipidemia ( 1.1 ).

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “Primary Hyperlipidemia The safety and effectiveness of colesevelam hydrochloride to reduce LDL-C levels in boys and postmenarchal girls 10 to 17 years of age with HeFH who are unable to reach LDL-C target levels despite an adequate trial of dietary therapy and lifestyle modification have been established.”

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Primary Hyperlipidemia Of the 1350 patients enrolled in the hyperlipidemia clinical studies, 349 (26%) were ≥65 years old, and 58 (4%) were ≥75 years old.”

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Risk Summary Colesevelam hydrochloride is not absorbed systemically following oral administration, and maternal use is not expected to result in fetal exposure to the drug.”

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “8.3 Females and Males of Reproductive Potential Contraception Use of colesevelam hydrochloride may reduce the efficacy of oral contraceptives.”

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced kidney function, the label states: “Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Of the 2048 patients enrolled in the six diabetes studies, 807 (39%) had mild renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance [CrCl] 50-<80 mL/min), 61 (3%) had moderate renal insufficiency (CrCl 30-<50 mL/min), and none had severe renal insufficiency (CrCl <30 mL/min), as estimated from baseline serum creatinine using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation.”

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

RNAWiki has not recorded a supervision or regulatory status for this substance.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

No register row and no identity class settled the question.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as for suspension, tablet, capsule, bar, chewable, given by the oral route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Colesevelam appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 487 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • constipation — 91 reaction mentions
  • drug hypersensitivity — 76 reaction mentions
  • myalgia — 64 reaction mentions
  • dysphagia — 53 reaction mentions
  • cerebrovascular accident — 44 reaction mentions
  • blood cholesterol increased — 43 reaction mentions
  • therapeutic response unexpected — 34 reaction mentions
  • muscle spasms — 28 reaction mentions
  • blood creatine phosphokinase increased — 27 reaction mentions
  • pancreatitis — 27 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 36 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 36 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 14593-829 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as for suspension, powder, powder, for suspension, tablet and tablet, film coated, taken oral.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 14593-829 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is bile acid sequestrant [epc] and bile-acid binding activity [moa].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 14593-829 · read 2026-08-29

  • 29 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 29 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 5e50cc0c-03bc-444b-9d15-ea112bc0f91c · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 5e50cc0c-03bc-444b-9d15-ea112bc0f91c · read 2026-08-29

  • Colesevelam HCL is oral at 3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS Off-white to light yellow colored, oval, film coated tablets imprinted "C625" on one side., recorded as fda label in effect 2025-11-07 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 22cf31e6-59fa-40db-a181-2a12afc3af43 · read 2026-08-30

  • Recorded price in US: 0.26081–2.75957 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 13 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

RNAWiki could not confidently classify this substance, so no self-experiment plan is offered.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Colesevelam studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Colesevelam are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
P4SG24WI5Q
RxNorm concept
866910

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What the approval register records

  • 22 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA021141, approved 20000526 to COSETTE.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA021141 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA021141 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 20000109.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 14593-829 · read 2026-08-29

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Recorded evidence blocks (11)

What did Colesevelam's largest trial (780 people) and its longest (18 years) measure?


780 people in Colesevelam's largest registered study, 18 years in its longest registered window, measuring PK of EE and NET: Area Under the Plasma Concentration Versus Time Curve (AUC) From Time 0 to the Last Quantifiable Concentration (AUC0-t). ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

18 phase4, 14 phase2, 14 phase3, 6 na, 3 phase1, 1 early phase1, 1 na or unstated; NCT00715273; 2019-03-01; no ageing endpoint recorded. Last human test completed 2022, NCT03955575.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Colesevelam was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase4
    18
  • phase2
    14
  • phase3
    14
  • na
    6
  • phase1
    3
  • early phase1
    1
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    1
  • Last recorded human test NCT03955575
    2022-05-31

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Colesevelam was tested only in human — what did it show?


human: biomarker (53): the rungs where Colesevelam has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

PK of EE and NET: Area Under the Plasma Concentration Versus Time Curve (AUC) From Time 0 to the Last Quantifiable Concentration (AUC0-t) — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse Rat Dog Non-human primate Human biomarker
Show the evidence
  • human NCT03856970
    biomarker; PK of EE and NET: Area Under the Plasma Concentration Versus Time Curve (AUC) From Time 0 to the Last Quantifiable Concentration (AUC0-t); 53

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

3 of Colesevelam's trials stopped: futility/efficacy, accrual/recruitment?


futility/efficacy (1) and accrual/recruitment (2): Colesevelam's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"insufficient enrollment"; 3 of 53 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT01203254
    terminated; "insufficient enrollment"
  • NCT02619812
    terminated; "Difficulty recruiting; pill burden and nausea were barriers"
  • NCT03561090
    terminated; "Parallel IW-3718 Phase III trial did not meet pre-specified criteria."

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Colesevelam used Colesevelam 3750 mg + chenodeoxycholic acid 1250 mg — over how long?


Human studies of Colesevelam used "Colesevelam 3750 mg + chenodeoxycholic acid 1250 mg". ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Show the evidence
  • human NCT01666223
    Colesevelam 3750 mg + chenodeoxycholic acid 1250 mg

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of acceptability, adherence to study drug and appearance rate of oral glucose did Colesevelam's trials measure?


acceptability, adherence to study drug and appearance rate of oral glucose lead 35 outcome terms across Colesevelam's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

fasting endogenous glucose production, fasting gluconeogenesis, fasting glycogenolysis, hemoglobin a1c, hemoglobin a1c at week 24 and colonic transit geometric center at 24 hours follow.

Show the evidence
  • ldl c from the start of the study
    1
  • ldl cholesterol
    1
  • change in hba1c from week 0 to week 16 endpoint
    1
  • fasting endogenous glucose production
    1
  • fasting gluconeogenesis
    1
  • fasting glycogenolysis
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • hemoglobin a1c
    1
  • hemoglobin a1c at week 24
    1
  • colonic transit geometric center at 24 hours
    1
  • total disposition index
    1
  • fasting plasma glucose
    1
  • fasting plasma glucose clearance
    1
  • appearance rate of oral glucose
    1
  • postprandial endogenous glucose production
    1
  • whole body glycolytic disposal of oral glucose
    1
  • low density lipoprotein cholesterol
    1
  • glp 1
    1
  • plasma plant sterol level
    1
  • stool frequency
    1
  • stool consistency
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Colesevelam's 4 ongoing trials reports first?


4 registered trials of Colesevelam are open; earliest completion 2028-12. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

The incidence of neratinib discontinuations due to diarrhoea at the end of 3 cycles (1 cycle= 28 days) of neratinib treatment.; Glucose; latest 2030-01

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT05252988
    "Three Antidiarrheal Strategies in HER2+/HR+ Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Extended Adjuvant Neratinib"; n 177; "The incidence of neratinib discontinuations due to diarrhoea at the end of 3 cycles (1 cycle= 28 days) of neratinib treatment."; 2030-01
  • NCT06925997
    "Metabolic Effects of Endogenous Bile Acids After Gastric Bypass Surgery"; n 18; "Glucose"; 2028-12
  • NCT07226440
    "Examining a Novel Gastrointestinal Intervention to Negate Environmental Toxicants (ENGINE)"; n 50; "Retention"; 2028-12
  • NCT07592858
    "Use of Bile Acid Binding Resins to Decrease PFAS Levels Via Colesevalem in Veterans Study"; n 50; "PFAS content"; 2029-09-29

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 23 trials of Colesevelam posted no result?


Posted no result
23 of 23 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00185107, NCT00151749, NCT00147719, NCT00147758, NCT00249938 and NCT00361153, and 17 more
Completion dates
oldest 2005-10; newest 2022-05-31
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00185107
    2005-10
  • NCT00151749
    2005-12
  • NCT00147719
    2006-07
  • NCT00147758
    2006-08
  • NCT00249938
    2006-08
  • NCT00361153
    2007-03
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00151762
    2007-07
  • NCT00476710
    2009-04
  • NCT00655265
    2009-10
  • NCT00756171
    2009-12
  • NCT00938405
    2009-12
  • NCT01239004
    2011-08
  • NCT01666223
    2013-06
  • NCT01656057
    2014-04
  • NCT02050074
    2014-09
  • NCT02030925
    2014-12
  • NCT02682680
    2017-05-25
  • NCT03009916
    2017-08-04
  • NCT03856970
    2019-07-03
  • NCT02876484
    2020-11

At the median, Colesevelam's trials enrolled 52 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
52
Largest enrolment
780
Registered trials counted
53

What do 487 spontaneous reports say about Colesevelam — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Colesevelam appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 487 reaction mentions were counted: constipation 91; drug hypersensitivity 76; myalgia 64; dysphagia 53. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL1201473 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • constipation
    91
  • drug hypersensitivity
    76
  • myalgia
    64
  • dysphagia
    53
  • cerebrovascular accident
    44
  • blood cholesterol increased
    43
4 more recorded rows
  • therapeutic response unexpected
    34
  • muscle spasms
    28
  • blood creatine phosphokinase increased
    27
  • pancreatitis
    27

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Colesevelam studied with fasting and exercise?


fasting and exercise are named in Colesevelam's label sentences: "This trial is designed to evaluate whether initial therapy with metformin + colesevelam HCl provides greater glucose control and additional lipid and lipoprotein benefits, as compared to metformin alone in drug-naïve patients with type 2 DM, and whether treatment with colesevelam HCl has a…" openfda-label+europepmc · 2011-12-02

2 recorded statements; fasting, exercise

Show the evidence
  • fasting
    This trial is designed to evaluate whether initial therapy with metformin + colesevelam HCl provides greater glucose control and additional lipid and lipoprotein benefits, as compared to metformin alone in drug-naïve patients with type 2 DM, and whether treatment with colesevelam HCl has a beneficial effect on lipid and glucose levels in drug-naïve patients with impaired glucose tolerance and/or…
  • exercise
    Participants with type 2 diabetes (HbA(1c) 6.7-10.0% [50-86 mmol/mol], fasting glucose <16.7 mmol/l, fasting triacylglycerols <3.9 mmol/l and LDL-cholesterol >1.55 mmol/l) treated with diet and exercise, sulfonylurea, metformin or a combination thereof, were randomised by a central coordinator to either 3.75 g/day colesevelam (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks at three clinical sites in…

recorded 2011-12-02 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Colesevelam and AMPK?


"Glycemic efficacy of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, colesevelam, and bromocriptine may also involve AMPK activation, which warrants further evaluation." — where Colesevelam and AMPK appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2017-04-01

AMPK; PMID 27652986

Show the evidence
  • AMPK PMID 27652986
    "Glycemic efficacy of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, colesevelam, and bromocriptine may also involve AMPK activation, which warrants further evaluation."

recorded 2017-04-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL6068331
PubChem CID
56843207
CAS number
182815-43-6
RxCUI
141626
Also called
2-PROPEN-1-AMINE POLYMER WITH (CHLOROMETHYL)OXIRANE, N,N,N-TRIMETHYL-6-(2-PROPENYLAMINO)-1-HEXANAMINIUM CHLORIDE, AND N-2-PROPENYL-1-DECANAMINE, ALLYLAMINE POLYMER WITH 1-CHLORO-2,3-EPOXYPROPANE, (6-(ALLYLAMINO)HEXYL)TRIMETHYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE AND N-ALLYLDECYLAMINE, COLESEVELAM [EMA EPAR], COLESEVELAM [VANDF], Colesevelam [WHO-DD], colesevelam [INN], 2-PROPEN-1-AMINE POLYMER WITH (CHLOROMETHYL)OXIRANE, N,N,N-TRIMETHYL-6-(2-PROPENYLAMINO)-1-HEXANAMINIUM CHLORIDE, AND N-2-PROPENYL-1-DECANAMINE, HYDROCHLORIDE, Allylamine polymer with 1-chloro-2,3-epoxypropane, [6-(allylamino)hexyl]trimethylammonium chloride and N-allyldecylamine, hydrochloride, COLESEVELAM HYDROCHLORIDE [MART.], COLESEVELAM HYDROCHLORIDE [MI], COLESEVELAM HYDROCHLORIDE [ORANGE BOOK], COLESEVELAM HYDROCHLORIDE [USAN]
Trade name
Cholestagel, Welchol
Salt form
Colesevelam Hydrochloride, Colesevelam hcl, Colesevelam Hydrochloride / Welchol
Development code
GT-31-104HB, GT31-104HB, IW-3718, NSC-760126
Sources (10)

Sources

4 more sources
  • open-targets-adr CHEMBL1201473 ·
  • openfda-label 5d1b8dfd-cfe7-4c86-9d7b-a709b593acf7 ·
  • openfda-label+europepmc K1:P4SG24WI5Q ·
  • national registers US, EU, CA ·

ChEMBL ATC CC BY-SA · ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

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