Azathioprine News and Research

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Azathioprine is an immunosupressant used in organ transplantation, autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It is a pro-drug, converted in the body to the active metabolites 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioinosinic acid.

Salix presents two Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials data for non-C IBS at ACG Meeting

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the presentation of two analyses of data from its Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, TARGET 1 and 2, demonstrating a 14-day course of XIFAXAN 550 mg (rifaximin) taken three times daily achieved adequate relief of symptoms of non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (non-C IBS) in a significantly greater proportion of patients compared with placebo.

19 Oct 2010

Further trials needed to determine clinical application of Abatacept in SLE

Results from a 12-month multi-center clinical trial did not show therapeutic benefit of abatacept over placebo in patients with non-life threatening systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Abatacept failed to prevent new disease flares in SLE patients tapered from corticosteroids in an analysis where mild, moderate and severe disease flares were evaluated together. Full details of the phase IIb clinical trial are published in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

29 Sep 2010

FDA accepts Salix's XIFAXAN550 sNDA for Priority Review

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for Priority Review the Company's efficacy supplement to the New Drug Application (NDA) for XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the proposed indication of treatment of non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (Non-C IBS) and IBS-related bloating.

9 Aug 2010

Steroid treatment can delay loss of kidney function

For patients with IgA nephropathy, a type of kidney disease, steroid treatment can prevent or delay loss of kidney function, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys and a major cause of end-stage kidney failure in younger people

16 Jul 2010

First clinical trial results of XOMA 052 in patients with uveitis of Behcet's disease presented at EULAR 2010

XOMA Ltd., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced positive results from an open-label pilot study of XOMA 052 in patients with uveitis of Behcet's disease who were suffering from vision-threatening exacerbations despite maximal doses of immunosuppressive medicines.

17 Jun 2010

Salix submits efficacy supplement for XIFAXAN NDA for Non-C IBS and IBS-related bloating

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company has submitted an efficacy supplement to NDA 21-361 for XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the proposed indication of treatment of non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (Non-C IBS) and IBS-related bloating.

8 Jun 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals announces availability of Xifaxan tablets for reducing risk of overt HE recurrence

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the availability of Xifaxan (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older. Those HE patients may now fill their Xifaxan 550 mg prescriptions in U.S. pharmacies and should speak with their doctors about this important treatment option.

24 May 2010

Osiris Therapeutics resumes enrollment in Prochymal trial for treatment-resistant Crohn's disease

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it is resuming enrollment in its clinical trial evaluating Prochymal for patients with treatment-resistant Crohn's disease. The findings of an interim analysis showed that for the primary endpoint of disease remission, Prochymal is approaching statistical significance in the intent to treat (ITT) population, and has reached significance in the per protocol population.

6 May 2010

No single immunosuppressive medication increases cancer risk in kidney transplant recipients

Drugs taken by kidney transplant recipients to prevent organ rejection carry similar risks of cancer, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that no single medication is to blame for the higher incidence of cancer seen among patients who have undergone transplantation.

30 Apr 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals receives FDA complete response letter for GIAZO Tablets NDA

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for GIAZO™ (balsalazide disodium) Tablets 1.1 g. for the treatment of mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis in patients 18 years and older.

29 Apr 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals announces novel patient and health care provider support program for HE

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced plans for the Hepatic Encephalopathy Living Program (H.E.L.P.). H.E.L.P. is a first-of-its-kind patient and health care provider support program for the management of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and will launch on May 24, 2010. The program will provide patients with HE educational materials, co-pay assistance, treatment adherence support and a 24-hour toll-free hotline.

27 Apr 2010

DDW2010 Investor Event to provide update on TARGET 1 and TARGET 2 Phase 3 trials

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company will host a DDW2010 Investor Event on Monday, May 3 2010 from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central Time (10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET).

22 Apr 2010

Results of study comparing REMICADE to azathioprine for Crohn's disease published

Findings published today in The New England Journal of Medicine from a first-of-its-kind comparator trial evaluating the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha biologic treatment REMICADE (infliximab) in the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in patients who were naive to immunomodulator and biologic therapy, showed that a significantly greater proportion of patients receiving REMICADE achieved steroid-free remission and mucosal healing compared with patients receiving azathioprine.

16 Apr 2010

Infliximab-azathioprine combination helps more Crohn's disease patients achieve remission

A study led by Mayo Clinic suggests remission from Crohn's disease may be more likely if patients get biologic therapy combined with immune-suppressing drugs first instead of immune-suppressing drugs alone. The study, published in the April 15, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease with infliximab plus azathioprine allows more patients to achieve remission and mucosal healing than therapy with azathioprine alone.

15 Apr 2010

Hepatic encephalopathy drug XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets receives FDA marketing approval

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing approval for XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets for reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older. HE is a serious disorder caused by chronic liver failure, resulting in cognitive, psychiatric and motor impairments. This approval was supported by findings from the largest randomized trial of maintenance therapy in HE conducted to date, which assessed the efficacy and safety of XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets and demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of overt HE recurrence.

25 Mar 2010

Data evaluating safety, efficacy of STELARA and REMICADE in patients with plaque psoriasis to be presented

Data evaluating the efficacy and safety of STELARA™ (ustekinumab) and REMICADE® (infliximab) in patients with plaque psoriasis who had an inadequate response to Enbrel® (etanercept) will be presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Miami, Fla., from March 5-9, 2010.

5 Mar 2010

FDA Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee supports approval of XIFAXAN 550 mg for management of HE

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today reported that the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA has recommended by a vote of 14 to 4 in favor of the approval of XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) Tablets, 550 mg for the maintenance of remission of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

23 Feb 2010

NASDAQ halts trading of Salix Pharmaceuticals stock, FDA Committee to discuss XIFAXAN NDA

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that NASDAQ has halted trading of the Company’s common stock this morning. The Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA is meeting today to discuss the efficacy and safety of the New Drug Application (NDA) for XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) Tablets, 550 mg for the maintenance of remission of hepatic encephalopathy.

23 Feb 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals discusses proposed rifaximin NDA with the FDA

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today reported that the Company held a pre-NDA meeting on December 8, 2009 with the FDA to discuss the Company’s proposed new drug application (NDA) for rifaximin in the treatment of patients with non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (non-C IBS).

10 Dec 2009

Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease may be at risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer

Findings from a new retrospective cohort study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego indicate that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), especially those receiving the thiopurine class of medications to treat IBD, may be at risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

27 Oct 2009