Skip to main content
News

Linzess statistics and facts

Explore how Linzess treats IBS and chronic constipation, including usage stats, cost, effectiveness, insurance coverage, and potential side effects.
SingleCare logo
By | Jul. 8, 2025 Medically reviewed by Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH
Map of the U.S. with smart phones displaying charts: Linzess statistics

Key takeaways

  • Linzess (linaclotide) is a prescription drug in the class of guanylate cyclase-C agonists. It is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in adults and functional constipation in children.

  • Research has shown that Linzess effectively reduces symptoms of these conditions for 50% or more of people.

  • Linzess is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment of IBS and CIC. Since its FDA approval in 2012, more than five million Americans have been prescribed Linzess.

  • Americans and insurance companies spend a total of around $1 billion per year on Linzess.

  • Common Linzess side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, headaches, and viral gastroenteritis.

In this article:

Few things can ruin a date, a night out with friends, or even a quiet evening like a bout of irritable bowel syndrome or constipation. The symptoms can be a gauntlet of discomfort, from constipation to abdominal pain, bloating, abdominal distension, hard stools, and flatulence, and can leave you in desperate need of relief. Fortunately, medications like Linzess (linaclotide) can help. From a class of drugs called guanylate cyclase-C agonists (GC-C), it calms pain-sensing nerves and accelerates bowel movements to help treat constipation associated with IBS or CIC.

That effectiveness has made it extremely popular in the U.S., with millions of prescriptions already written. How many people use it? What makes it so widespread? How effective is it? We’ve got plenty of facts and statistics on Linzess use below.

Save up to 80% on Linzess with SingleCare

Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.

Linzess 145 mcg (30 capsules)
23666 - Hampton, VA
$499.63
Get free coupon
$499.63
Get free coupon
See Linzess prices at all pharmacies

How many people have IBS or CIC?

IBS and CIC are common conditions. More specifically:

  • Experts estimate that around 10–15% of Americans have IBS, yet only 5–7% have been diagnosed. (American College of Gastroenterology, 2024)
  • Approximately 8–12% of U.S. adults have CIC (aka functional constipation). (Gastroenterology, 2024)
  • In the U.S., one-third of people with IBS have constipation as the predominant symptom. (Gastroenterology, 2023)
  • IBS is reported around twice as often in women as in men. (European Journal of Internal Medicine, 2024)
  • Chronic idiopathic constipation affects 10-11% of people around the world, and is about twice as common in women. (Lancet Gastroenterology, 2021) 
  • IBS appears to be more common at younger ages. One study showed a prevalence of 45% for ages 18–29, 29% for ages 30–49, and 26% for ages 50 and older. (NPJ Gut and Liver, 2024)
  • CIC is more prevalent in older adults, with an incidence of 33.5% in adults aged 60 101, versus an average of 16% across adults in general. (Mayo Clin Proc., 2020)
  • The prevalence of functional constipation in children aged 0-18 is 9.5%, and geographical location, lifestyle factors, and stressful life events influence it. (The Journal of pediatrics, 2018).

How many people use Linzess?

Hundreds of thousands of Linzess prescriptions are written and filled each year. While it’s hard to say how many people are using Linzess right now, here’s what we know:

  • Between 2012 and 2017, more than seven million prescriptions were filled for Linzess by 1.5 million unique patients. (Ironwood Pharmaceutical Inc., 2017)
  • In 2022 alone, there were an estimated 534,890 people in the U.S. using Linzess (ClinCalc, 2022)
  • By 2024, more than 5 million people had been prescribed Linzess since its approval. (IQVIA Total Patient Tracker, 2024)

“Linzess is widely used because it addresses two major complaints: constipation and discomfort,” says Dr. Martina Ambardjieva, MD, a urologist at Dr. Telx. “It’s also convenient—taken once daily on an empty stomach—and acts locally in the gut with very little systemic absorption, which lowers the risk of broader side effects.”

 The popularity of Linzess for people with IBS and CIC has been increasing since it was approved.

  • Approximately 212 million Linzess capsules were dispensed in 2024, an 11% increase from 2023. (Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2025)
  • From 2022 to 2023, Linzess saw an increase in prescription demand of 10%. (Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2024)
  • Linzess and Constellation comprised 37.3% of the IBS treatment market in 2024, the most of any IBS drugs. (Grand View Research, 2025)

How effective is Linzess for IBS and CIC?

According to Dr. Genene Salman, Pharm.D, BCCCP, BCPS, CNSC, an associate professor in the Marshall B. Ketchum University College of Pharmacy, Linzess “functions as a secretagogue by drawing ions and water into the gastrointestinal tract. Linaclotide and its active metabolite bind to and activate GC-C on the luminal surface of intestinal epithelial cells.” Activating the protein GC-C leads to increased intestinal fluid secretion, improving stool consistency and movement.

Research has shown its efficacy for reliably treating the symptoms of both IBS with constipation (IBS-C) and CIC. Dr. Salman cites a few studies as particularly convincing:

  • A 2012 study by Chey and colleagues, which studied 804 patients with IBS-C over a 26-week treatment period, found that approximately 34% of trial participants who received linaclotide met the FDA definition for effectiveness compared to 13.9% who received a placebo. (The American College of Gastroenterology, 2012)
  • A network meta-analysis conducted by Black and colleagues in 2018 identified linaclotide as the most effective agent among other IBS-C prescription medications available at that time. (Gastroenterology, 2018)
  • In a 2021 study consisting of 614 patients with IBS-C, Chang and colleagues reported that 40.5% of those treated with linaclotide experienced significant improvement in weekly abdominal symptoms (bloating, discomfort, and pain) for at least 6 out of 12 weeks, compared to 23.4% in the placebo group. (The American College of Gastroenterology, 2021)

Yet those aren’t the only studies that have shown the effectiveness of Linzess for IBS and CIC:

  • In a 2023 study, Linzess reduced abdominal pain, discomfort, or bloating associated with IBS-C by ≥30% for over 50% of 2,350 adult patients. (The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2023)
  • In clinical trials, 49% of patients who took Linzess for IBS-C reported improved abdominal pain and more frequent complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) in six out of twelve weeks, compared to 30% for placebo-treated patients. (Linzess website)
  • Clinical trials also showed that IBS-C patients taking Linzess experienced a mean 28.9% reduction in bloating, compared to 18.8% with a placebo. (Linzess website)
  • For CIC patients, Linzess improved patients’ CSBM frequency after twelve weeks by an average of 1.5 more CSBMs than the placebo-controlled group. (Linzess website)

How much do Americans spend on Linzess?

Since its FDA approval in 2012, the total money spent on Linzess has increased drastically. Today, Americans spend around $1 billion per year on the drug.

  • In 2024, net revenue from Linzess purchases totaled $913.3 million. In 2023, net revenue was over $1 billion. (Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, 2025)
  • On average, a 30-day supply of Linzess costs around $731.30. (SingleCare, 2025)
  • Around 91% of Linzess prescriptions have an out-of-pocket cost of $0-$50 per month for people with private health insurance. (Linzess website, 2025)
  • For people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, about 84% of LINZESS prescriptions have an out-of-pocket cost between $0-$50 per month. (Linzess website, 2025)
  • Nearly 100% of people who have Medicaid pay $0–$10 per month out of pocket for their Linzess prescription. (Linzess website)

How many Americans use insurance for Linzess?

The exact percentage is unknown, but according to Linzess’ manufacturer, more than 98% of commercial plans cover Linzess. (Linzess website, 2024)

How many Americans pay for Linzess out of pocket?

The exact percentage is unknown, but as of 2024, around 8.2% of Americans were uninsured. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025)

Linzess side effects

For anyone weathering the daily trials of living with IBS or CIC, Linzess offers some enticing benefits. And while its tolerability is generally pretty good, those benefits may come with adverse effects. Most of these adverse events are gastrointestinal, and they include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach pain
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Viral gastroenteritis
  • Headaches

“That’s why it’s important to start the medication as directed—on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before a meal—and to monitor how patients respond, especially during the first two weeks,” Dr. Ambardjieva says.

Additionally, in rare cases, Linzess may cause more serious side effects, which require medical attention. These include:

  • Weight loss
  • Severe diarrhea, increasing the risk of serious dehydration
  • Allergic reactions

Per the FDA, Linzess’ contraindications include pediatric patients under two years of age and people who have a known or suspected intestinal obstruction. It may also have drug interactions with other medications, so always inform a healthcare provider about other drugs or supplements you’re taking.

Patients should also inform a healthcare provider about any side effects they experience. The prescribing doctor may adjust the dosage, discontinue the prescription, or consider other treatment options.