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

Apr 27 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) today announced plans for the Hepatic Encephalopathy Living Program (H.E.L.P.) (www.HELPenroll.com). 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.

“There is an urgent need for healthcare providers, patients and their families to understand the threat posed by HE and to seek information about how to recognize its symptoms and obtain treatment”

"HE patients are faced with complex treatment regimens and unpredictable episodes that can diminish quality of life," said Susan Robinson, Vice President, Programs, American Liver Foundation. "Putting support programs such as H.E.L.P. in place will give these patients access to valuable resources when they have questions or need support during even the most difficult times."

HE is a serious disorder caused by chronic liver failure that results in neurologic impairments in cognition, mental status and motor function. HE frequently occurs in patients with cirrhosis as a result of end-stage liver disease and encompasses a wide spectrum of often reversible neuropsychiatric abnormalities, including disruption in sleep patterns, changes in personality and intellectual capacity, and coma. There are reported to be approximately 200,000 patients in the United States who suffer from episodic overt HE.^i,ii,iii

"There is an urgent need for healthcare providers, patients and their families to understand the threat posed by HE and to seek information about how to recognize its symptoms and obtain treatment," said Arun Sanyal, MD, Chairman, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. "Programs like H.E.L.P. may increase compliance with treatment, thereby improving outcomes for patients with HE."

H.E.L.P. will formally launch May 24, 2010, coinciding with the availability of Xifaxan550 for the reduction in risk of overt HE recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older in U.S. pharmacies. H.E.L.P. enrollment cards will be featured at the Salix Pharmaceuticals booth (#635) during Digestive Disease Week (DDW), May 1-6, 2010, in New Orleans. Physicians will be able to pre-enroll in the program, gaining access to the materials and resources provided by H.E.L.P. For more information on the H.E.L.P. program, please visit www.HELPenroll.com or call 1-866-XIFAXAN (934-2926).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved XIFAXAN^® (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the reduction in risk of overt HE recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older on March 24, 2010. Xifaxan550 will be available for physicians and patients in the U.S. on May 24, 2010. For more information on Xifaxan550, please visit www.Xifaxan550.com.