Study shows ulcerative colitis patients achieve remission with probiotic composi...( therapies including mesalamine oral co...)

Remission, the primary endpoint, was achieved in 63 percent of patients, and 23 percent of study participants experienced an improvement in symptoms for a combined remission/response rate of 86 percent. Four patients did not respond to VSL#3, and only one patient demonstrated worsened disease activity. No adverse biochemical or clinical effects were observed by adding VSL#3 therapy. Researchers determined the remission and response rates by using the Ulcerative Colitis Clinical Score (UCCS).

Results from the study presented today confirm earlier findings that VSL#3 is effective in the management of serious gastrointestinal disorders such as pouchitis, a major complication following a common surgical procedure in patients with UC. According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, approximately 25 percent to 40 percent of patients with UC will require surgery to remove their colon at some time during their illness due to lack of response to treatment. Within twelve months following the surgical intervention and pouch formation, up to 37 percent of patients experience pouchitis, a syndrome characterized by increased stool frequency and fluidity, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping, incontinence, and fever.

The lead study published in the May 2003 edition of the journal Gastroenterology reported that VSL#3 is effective in the prevention of pouchitis. According to the accompanying editorial, authored by Jeffry A. Katz, MD, associate professor of medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, "Given the similarity between pouchitis and ulcerative colitis, probiotic therapy could also prove useful in the maintenance treatment of this condition."

"When looking at studies of probiotics in treating certain GI disorders, it's important to note that different probiotic preparations contain varying amounts of bacterial strains and s
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Contact: Kristin Cirz
KristinC@mcspr.com
800-477-9626
MCS/VSL
19-May-2003