Industry News

^{This page lists news from IFFGD Industry Council Members.}

What's in the news

Rifaximin

October 6, 2008 - Salix Pharmaceuticals today announced findings from two analyses of a Phase II clinical trial that demonstrate the utility of rifaximin in the treatment of patients with diarrhea–predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) showed that patients treated with rifaximin demonstrated that the severity of baseline IBS symptoms of abdominal pain and bloating predicted clinical response to rifaximin and demonstrated statistically greater clinical improvement in quality of life compared with placebo. Find our more here.

Amitiza

April 29, 2008 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Amitiza (lubiprostone) for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome where constipation is the predominant bowel symptom (IBS-C) in adult women aged 18 and over. The efficacy of Amitiza in men was not conclusively demonstrated, said the FDA. With this approval, Amitiza becomes the only FDA-approved medical treatment for IBS with constipation available in the United States. Find our more here.   

July 12, 2007 - Amitiza became the first selective chloride channel activator approved by the FDA for the treatment of chronic idiopathic ("functional") constipation in adults.

Zelnorm

On April 2, 2008, Novartis terminated their restricted access program for Zelnorm. The drug will no longer be available except for severe emergency situations. (On March 30, 2007 sales and marketing of the IBS and constipation drug had been discontinued in the U.S. and Canada; the restricted access program was launched July 27, 2007.) 

Lotronex

On November 7, 2007 Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to acquire exclusive rights to Lotronex (alosetron hydrochloride) Tablets in the United States.