Salix Pharmaceuticals launches COLAZAL
For the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis
Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Raleigh, NC) today announced the launch of its first product, COLAZAL (balsalazide disodium), a new first-line therapy for the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. The company shipped approximately $5.5 in orders to wholesalers in December 2000; the orders were subsequently distributed to pharmacies nationwide.
Coinciding with the launch, Salix dispatched a special 30-person gastroenterology specialty sales force to meet with physicians. "Our sales force is taking the opportunity provided by the introduction of COLAZAL to introduce Salix to physicians," Robert Ruscher, Salix president and CEO, commented in a company release. "We want gastroenterologists to know that we are intent on partnering with them in order to provide new and improved therapies for their patients and that COLAZAL is only the first of what we hope will be a number of high-caliber, innovative pharmaceutical products that we develop to treat gastrointestinal disease."
"Our sales representatives have an average of five years experience in pharmaceutical sales, with the majority of them having experience in the field of gastroenterology," added Carolyn Logan, senior vice president, sales and marketing. "Without exception, every member of the team has been recognized for award-winning performance during his or her career. We expect these individuals will begin to make immediate and significant inroads in the gastroenterology community as they meet with gastroenterologists to introduce COLAZAL."
COLAZAL is the first new chemical entity approved in 10 years and the first new therapy approved in seven years by the FDA for the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis, a chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. COLAZAL is approved for a course of therapy of up to 12 weeks. During the course of clinical investigations, the most commonly reported side effects were headache and abdominal pain, reported in 8% and 6% respectively, of the clinical patient population. Withdrawal from therapy due to adverse events was comparable among patients on COLAZAL and placebo.
Salix estimates that there are up to 500,000 patients with ulcerative colitis in the United States. In 1999, U.S. sales of prescription products indicated to treat ulcerative colitis totaled approximately $350 million. This market in terms of prescription dollar sales has been growing at an annual compound rate exceeding 25% for the last 10 years.
Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
For more information, contact Mike Freeman or Adam C. Derbyshire of Salix Pharmaceuticals at 919-862-1000.
Source: Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
With contributions from Jim Pomager
Assistant Editor, Pharmaceutical Online