Shire presents new ulcerative colitis data

Ulcerative colitis (UC) data from a post hoc analysis of a Shire study will be presented to delegates at Digestive Disease Week (DDW), the company has announced.

The findings reveal time to symptom resolution data regarding its drug Lialda (mesalamine) in a study by Dr Michael A Kamm from St Mark’s Hospital, London.

The findings show that Lialda is effective in prompting remission in patients who have mild or moderate UC and was compared to data from patients who were administered a placebo.

Dr Kamm’s original results were published in the January 2007 issue of the journal Gastroenterology.

Lead investigator of the post hoc analysis Gary Lichtenstein, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “This analysis was important as it showed Lialda benefits patients by significantly lowering the time it takes patients to experience relief from their UC symptoms as compared to placebo.”

Lialda is a taken once a day, while other treatments for UC are taken twice to four times daily.