Proctor and Gamble reports success of trial

Proctor and Gamble has reported that data from two trials it has undertaken reveal that the success of treatment in patients with moderately active ulcerative colitis is connected to mucosal healing when they were given 2.4 or 4.8 grams of mesalamine per day.

According to the firm, after 6 weeks, 67 per cent of patients achieved treatment success and mucosal healing, compared to only five per cent who demonstrated treatment success but did not show mucosal healing.

Treatment of ulcerative colitis includes treating mucosal inflammation which can cause diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and abdominal cramping. Ulcerative colitis can lead to a number of “mucosal changes” which include loss of vascular pattern, granularity, friability and ulceration.

Lead author of the report, Dr Rubin, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, comments: “Importantly this analysis demonstrates that there is an association between successful treatment of ulcerative colitis and achievement of mucosal healing.”

The analysis was the result of the Assessing the safety and Clinical Efficacy of a new Dose of 5-ASA trial I and II, which were funded by Proctor and Gamble.

A further study into ulcerative colitis, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology by University of Chicago by Sundanda Kane, found that drug formulation and the amount of medication does not have an effect on the long-term adherence to medications, a problem which costs $100 billion (53.29 billion pounds) a year.