Salix Pharmaceuticals Announces Imminent Launch of Visiclear® in Japan
RALEIGH, NC, June 8, 2007 – Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) today announced that Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan plans to launch Visiclear® Tablets
for colon cleansing in Japan on June 15, 2007. Visiclear, or sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, tablets are marketed in the United States under the trade name
VISICOL®. In August 2001, InKine Pharmaceutical Company, Inc. (acquired by Salix in September 2005) licensed exclusive commercial rights in Japan to the product, the first approved and
marketed tablet formulation colon cleansing agent, to Zeria.
Zeria recently received marketing approval and NHI pricing for the product. Visiclear will be the only tablet formulation colon cleansing agent available in Japan. Approximately two million
colonoscopy procedures are performed in Japan on an annual basis.
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Salix's strategy is
to in–license late–stage or marketed proprietary therapeutic drugs, complete any required development and regulatory submission of these products, and market them in the United States through
the Company's 150–member gastroenterology specialty sales and marketing team.
Salix markets COLAZAL® (balsalazide) Capsules, Xifaxan® (rifaximin) Tablets, OSMOPREP™ (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP, and sodium phosphate
dibasic anhydrous, USP) Tablets, MOVIPREP® (PEG–3350, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid for Oral Solution), VISICOL®
Tablets (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP, and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous), PEPCID® (famotidine) for Oral Suspension, DIURIL® (chlorothiazide) Suspension,
AZASAN® (Azathioprine Tablets, USP), ANUSOL–HC® (Hydrocortisone Cream, USP) and PROCTOCORT® (Hydrocortisone Cream, USP). Balsalazide disodium tablets,
Granulated Mesalamine, SANVAR® (600 ug vials vapreotide acetate powder) and Xifaxan are under development for additional indications.
VISICOL® Tablets are indicated for cleansing of the bowel as a preparation for colonoscopy, in adults 18 years of age or older. VISICOL Tablets are virtually taste–free, can be
taken with any clear liquid such as water, lemonade or ginger ale, and have been proven to be associated with significantly less nausea, vomiting and bloating than the leading, currently–available,
prescribed class of liquid bowel preparations. VISICOL Tablets are not to be used in patients with congestive heart failure, ascites, unstable angina pectoris, gastric retention, ileus or acute obstruction
or pseudo–obstruction, severe chronic constipation, bowel perforation, acute colitis, toxic megacolon or hypomotility syndrome. Use with caution in patients with impaired renal function, pre–existing
electrolyte disturbances, or people taking drugs that affect electrolyte levels.
For full prescribing information on Salix products, please visit www.salix.com or
contact the Company at 919–862–1000.
Salix trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "SLXP".
For more information please visit our web site at www.salix.com or contact the Company at 919–862–1000. Information on our web site is not incorporated
in our SEC filings.
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APRISO™ is a locally-acting aminosalicylate indicated for the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis in patients 18 years and older.
APRISO is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to salicylates, aminosalicylates, or to any of the components of APRISO capsules.
The recommended dose of APRISO is four 0.375 g capsules once daily in the morning (1.5 g/day) with or without food. Because dissolution of the coating of APRISO
granules depends on pH, APRISO should not be coadministered with antacids. Patients with phenylketonuria should be aware that APRISO contains aspartame,
equivalent to 0.56 mg of phenylalanine. In two well-controlled clinical trials, the most common treatment-related adverse events occurring in at least 3%
of adult patients taking 1.5 g/day of APRISO were headache (11% vs. 8% for placebo), diarrhea (8% vs. 7% for placebo), upper abdominal pain (5% vs 3% for placebo),
nausea (4% vs 3% for placebo), nasopharyngitis (4% vs 3% for placebo), influenza and influenza-like illness (4% vs 4% for placebo) and sinusitis (3% vs 3% for placebo).
For complete Prescribing Information, please click here.
MoviPrep® (PEG-3350, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid for oral solution) is indicated for cleansing of the
colon as a preparation for colonoscopy in adults 18 years of age or older. MoviPrep is contraindicated in patients who have had a severe hypersensitivity reaction
to any of its components. MoviPrep should be used with caution in patients using concomitant medications that increase the risk of electrolyte abnormalities, in patients with known or suspected hyponatremia,
severe ulcerative colitis, ileus, gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation, gastric retention, toxic colitis, toxic megacolon, or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. In clinical trials, abdominal
distention, anal discomfort, thirst, nausea, and abdominal pain were the most common adverse reactions to MoviPrep administration. MoviPrep contains a maximum of 2.33 mg of phenylalanine per treatment.
Consult with your physician to see if this product is right for you.
For complete Prescribing Information, please click here.
Important Safety Information about OsmoPrep
There have been rare, but serious reports of acute phosphate nephropathy in patients who received oral sodium phosphate products for colon cleansing prior
to colonoscopy. Some cases have resulted in permanent impairment of renal function and some patients required long–term dialysis. While some
cases have occurred in patients without identifiable risk factors, patients at increased risk of acute phosphate nephropathy may include those with
increased age, hypovolemia, increased bowel transit time (such as bowel obstruction), active colitis, or baseline kidney disease, and those using
medicines that affect renal perfusion or function (such as diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers
[ARBs], and possibly nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]).
It is important to use the dose and dosing regimen as recommended (PM/AM split dose).
Please see accompanying brief summary of Prescribing Information for OsmoPrep, including
BOXED WARNINGS.
OsmoPrep® (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP, and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, USP) Tablets are indicated for cleansing
of the colon as a preparation for colonoscopy in adults 18 years of age or older. Considerable caution should be advised before OsmoPrep is used in
patients with severe renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, ascites, unstable angina, gastric retention, ileus, severe chronic constipation,
bowel perforation, toxic megacolon, gastric bypass or stapling surgery, or hypomotility syndrome. Use with caution in patients with impaired renal
function, patients with a history of seizures or at higher risk of seizure, patients with higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias, known or suspected electrolyte
disturbances (such as dehydration), or people taking drugs that affect electrolyte levels. Patients with electrolyte abnormalities such as
hypernatremia, hyperphosphatemia, hypokalemia, or hypocalcemia should have their electrolytes corrected before treatment with OsmoPrep.
OsmoPrep is contraindicated in patients with a known allergy or hypersensitivity to sodium phosphate salts or any of its ingredients, and in patients with
biopsy–proven acute phosphate nephropathy. In clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse reactions (reporting frequency >3%) were
abdominal bloating, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. It is recommended that patients receiving OsmoPrep be advised to adequately hydrate before,
during, and after the use of OsmoPrep.
For complete Prescribing Information, please click here.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Xifaxan® (rifaximin) Tablets are indicated for the treatment of patients (≥12 years of age) with travelers’ diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of
Escherichia coli. Xifaxan should not be used in patients with diarrhea complicated by fever or blood in the stool or diarrhea due to pathogens other than Escherichia coli. Xifaxan should be
discontinued if diarrhea symptoms get worse or persist more than 24-48 hours and alternative antibiotic therapy should be considered. Escherichia coli has been shown to develop resistance to rifaximin in vitro. However, the clinical significance of such an effect has not been studied.
In clinical trials, Xifaxan was generally well tolerated. The most common side effects (vs. placebo) were flatulence 11.3% (vs. 19.7%), headache 9.7% (vs. 9.2%), abdominal pain 7.2% (vs. 10.1%), rectal tenesmus 7.2%
(vs. 8.8%), defecation urgency 5.9% (vs. 9.2%) and nausea 5.3% (vs. 8.3%).
For complete Prescribing Information, please click here.