SALIX BEGINS XIFAXAN TRAVELERS' DIARRHEA PREVENTION STUDY

Salix has begun enrolling and dosing subjects in a Phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xifaxan (rifaximin) 200-mg tablets for the prevention of travelers' diarrhea (TD).

Xifaxan, a gut selective, non-systemic, virtually non-absorbed (less than 0.4 percent) oral antibiotic, is currently approved for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of E.coli in patients 12 years of age and older. Recent studies, as well as review articles in The Lancet and American Family Physician, suggest Xifaxan might have use beyond simply the treatment of TD. In addition to the potential for the prevention of TD, there also is promise in preventing potential TD-related side effects such as chronic diarrhea and more seriously, post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome.