Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Phase IIIb data published in the January issue of Clinical Therapeutics confirm that CREON® (pancrelipase) Delayed-Release Capsules significantly improves a key measure of fat absorption in children aged 7-11 years who have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) due to cystic fibrosis (CF), EPI is a condition resulting from a deficiency in the production and/or secretion of pancreatic enzymes that are necessary to digest nutrients in food.
In this clinical study, children aged 7-11 years with EPI due to CF experienced an improved coefficient of fat absorption (CFA) during treatment with CREON® compared to treatment with placebo. CFA is calculated based on measures of fat ingestion and fat excretion; assessing the CFA of a patient is another way to measure the absorption of fat as a percentage of fat intake in patients being tested for EPI. The mean CFA was greater during treatment with CREON® (82.8%) compared to treatment with placebo (47.4%), which resulted in a significant difference of 35.4% (p < 0.001).
Results were similar for a secondary outcome measure of the study, the coefficient of nitrogen absorption (CNA). CNA was used as a measure to evaluate the absorption of proteins. CNA is calculated based on the amount of nitrogen intake and nitrogen excretion. The mean CNA was greater during treatment with CREON® (80.3%) compared to treatment with placebo (45.0%), which resulted in a significant difference of 35.3% (p < 0.001).
"If not treated properly, EPI can lead to maldigestion and serious malabsorption of key nutrients, which can be life-shortening," said Gavin Graff M.D, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Medical School. "CREON® was effective in improving CFA and CNA, which should help maintain adequate nutrition and normal growth in young children with EPI due to CF."