Baxter launches OLIMEL emulsion for parenteral nutrition

Baxter International Inc. today announced the launch of OLIMEL (Amino Acids, Dextrose and Lipids, with/without Electrolytes) emulsion for infusion in Canada at the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week. OLIMEL is the country's first triple-chamber bag for parenteral nutrition (PN) and provides adult patients with the essential ingredients of balanced nutrition: protein, carbohydrates and lipids (fats), in a single container, simplifying the preparation of PN for hospitalized patients.

The prevalence of malnutrition is especially high for hospitalized patients, who may not be able to ingest food orally or have impaired digestion, and PN, or intravenous (IV) nutrition, can help to restore optimal nutrition status. These patients often have different nutritional needs, based on disease severity and progression. The range of OLIMEL formulations, with various concentrations of protein and carbohydrates and an olive oil-based lipid emulsion, address the needs of specific patient groups, such as the critically ill, surgery patients and the chronically ill.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition," said Paul Wischmeyer, MD, professor of Anesthesiology and director of Nutrition Support, University of Colorado at Denver School of Medicine. "As healthcare practitioners, we need to be flexible in our approach to nutrition therapy to meet individual patient needs, and having a wide range of formulas in a convenient premixed bag gives us this enhanced flexibility."

When malnutrition is left unmanaged, it can increase morbidity, mortality, and complications such as poor wound healing. Studies have shown as many as 40 percent of hospitalized elderly patients and 45 percent of long-term care residents in Canadian institutions suffer from malnutrition.

"Malnutrition is a frequent and serious problem in the hospital, particularly as patients' nutritional needs may be overlooked," said Donald Duerksen, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Manitoba, Canada. "The increased incidence of complications caused by malnutrition can lead to extended hospitalization and increased costs."

To help address malnutrition, OLIMEL is available in multiple formulations, offering the highest protein concentration in a multi-chamber bag and formulations that provide a proportionate amount of glucose. OLIMEL is unique in that it contains a lipid in the form of an olive oil-based IV fat emulsion, Baxter's proprietary CLINOLEIC. The European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines stress the need to adjust protein and energy formulas based on patients' requirements, as is offered in the OLIMEL formulations. For example, patients who have undergone trauma (such as surgery) experience a breakdown in muscle mass to support healing, so they need protein to help replace the lost muscle mass.  Hospitalized patients also need energy supplied by carbohydrates, but supplying too much can lead to hyperglycemia (excessive sugar in the blood), and can impact clinical outcomes.

"The OLIMEL family of products enables clinicians to match the nutritional therapy to the patient, through a premixed bag that requires fewer steps from preparation to administration," said Scott Luce, general manager of Baxter's global IV Therapy business. "With this latest introduction, Baxter continues to advance IV nutrition for healthcare professionals and patients through ongoing improvements in both nutritional contents and in container technology."

"OLIMEL contains the first new lipid introduced in Canada in more than three decades and represents a step forward in the preparation of parenteral nutrition for Canadian patients," said Barbara M. Leavitt, general manager for Baxter Corporation (Canada). "We are pleased to add this important innovation to Baxter's 70-year history in Canada and commitment to safe and effective therapies."