North Carolina-based Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. would soon launch visiclear tablets for colon cleansing in Japan, through Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, the company said a press statement.
Earlier, in August 2001, InKine Pharmaceutical Company, Inc. had licensed exclusive commercial rights to market visiclear tablets, the first approved and marketed tablet formulation colon cleansing agent, in Japan to Zeria. In 2005, Salix Pharmaceuticals had acquired InKine Pharmaceutical Company, Inc.
Zeria recently received marketing approval and NHI pricing for the product. Visiclear will be the only tablet formulation colon cleansing agent available in Japan. Approximately two million colonoscopy procedures are performed in Japan on an annual basis.
Visiclear, or sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, tablets are marketed in the United States under the trade name visicol. Visicol tablets are indicated for cleansing of the bowel as a preparation for colonoscopy, in adults 18 years of age or older. These tablets are virtually taste-free, can be taken with any clear liquid such as water, lemonade or ginger ale and have been proven to be associated with significantly less nausea, vomiting and bloating than the leading, currently-available, prescribed class of liquid bowel preparations. However, visicol tablets are not to be used in patients with congestive heart failure, ascites, unstable angina pectoris, gastric retention, ileus or acute obstruction or pseudo-obstruction, severe chronic constipation, bowel perforation, acute colitis, toxic megacolon and hypomotility syndrome.
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Salix's strategy is to in-license late stage or marketed proprietary therapeutic drugs, complete any required development and regulatory submission of these products, and market them in the United States through the company's 150-member gastroenterology specialty sales and marketing team.
Salix markets colazal (balsalazide) capsules, xifaxan (rifaximin) tablets, osmoprep (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP, and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, USP) tablets, moviprep (PEG-3350, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid for oral solution), visicol tablets (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP, and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous), pepcid (famotidine) for oral suspension, diuril (chlorothiazide) suspension, azasan (azathioprine tablets, USP), anusol-HC (hydrocortisone cream, USP) and proctocort (hydrocortisone cream, USP). Apart, balsalazide disodium tablets, granulated mesalamine, sanvar (600 ug vials vapreotide acetate powder) and xifaxan are under development for additional indications.