Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 7,452,857. This patent provides protection until August 2019.

US Patent No. 7,452,857 provides protection relating to rifaximin for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Salix has an exclusive license to this patent from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to make, have made, use, sell and have sold and import licensed products related to the use of rifaximin, which we market in the United States under the trade name Xifaxan. Salix currently is assessing the use of rifaximin in the treatment of IBS.

"We are pleased with the issuance of this additional intellectual property protection for rifaximin in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome," commented Carolyn Logan, president and chief executive officer. "We view patent protection as an essential component of our product life cycle management strategy to protect the products in our portfolio."

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.