The present invention provides methods for treating, preventing or reducing the severity of eosinophilic esophagitis. The methods of the present invention comprise administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutic composition comprising an interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) inhibitor such as an anti-IL-4R antibody.

Provided herein are methods of treating or preventing gastrointestinal motility-related disorders, treating or preventing constipation or stimulating bowel function, comprising using variants and fusions of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), variants and fusions of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), fusions of FGF19 and/or FGF21, and variants or fusions of FGF19 and/or FGF21 proteins and peptide sequences (and peptidomimetics).

The present invention relates to a novel protcolytically active polypeptide and various uses of the polypeptide (and others) in screening and manufacturing methods.

The present invention relates, in various embodiments, to formulations comprising hydrocortisone and silicon dioxide. In additional embodiments, the invention relates to suppositories comprising hydrocortisone and silicon dioxide. The formulations of the present invention are useful for administration to patients who have gastrointestinal diseases and disorders such as, for example, inflammatory bowel disease.

This invention provides compounds of formula I:

##STR00001##

wherein a, b, c, d, m, n, p, s, t, W, Ar.sup.1, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, and R.sup.8 are as defined in the specification. The compounds of formula I are muscarinic receptor antagonists. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds and methods of using such compounds to treat pulmonary disorders.

The present invention relates to binding moieties that specifically bind to a conformational epitope of C5a, in particular human C5a. Preferred binding moieties are anti-C5a antibodies that bind to this conformational epitope. The binding moieties described herein are useful as active agents in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment and prevention of various acute and chronic diseases, in particular acute inflammatory diseases, such as the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and different degrees of sepsis including sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock.

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and kits for the treatment of an enteric nervous system disorder. Such methods may comprise administering to a subject an effective amount of a phenothiazine compound, a peripherally restricted dopamine decarboxylase inhibitor, and/or a peripherally restricted dopamine D2 receptor antagonist that does not substantially inhibit hERG channels.

The present invention provides new methods and kits for treating IBS; treating IBS in females; treating IBS in older subjects; and treating IBS in non-white subjects.

The present invention provides new methods and kits for the retreatment of IBS.

Disclosed herein are immunoglobulin fusion proteins comprising a first antibody region, a first therapeutic agent, and a first connecting peptide; wherein the first therapeutic agent is attached to the first antibody region by the connecting peptide; and wherein the connecting peptide does not comprise a region having beta strand secondary structure. The connecting peptide may comprise an extender peptide. The extender peptide may have an alpha helical secondary structure. The connecting peptide may comprise a linker peptide. The linker peptide may not comprise any secondary structure. Also disclosed herein are compositions comprising the immunoglobulin fusion proteins and methods for using the immunoglobulin fusion proteins for the treatment or prevention of a disease or condition in a subject.