LONDON, UK, Friday 19 February, 12:00 GMT: Norgine B.V. has today announced that XIFAXAN® 200mg is now available in Australia for the treatment of patients (12 years and older) with travellers’ diarrhoea caused by non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli.1 It is estimated that 20-50% of international travellers will be affected by travellers’ diarrhoea, therefore this is an important new treatment option that can make a difference to patients.2
Travellers’ diarrhoea is a stomach and intestinal infection that occurs as a result of unsanitary handling of food. Travellers’ diarrhoea will usually start during, or shortly after, a period of travel.
XIFAXAN® 200mg is available through Norgine in Australia, Denmark, Germany and United Kingdom.
Rifaximin-α is also available through Norgine as XIFAXAN® 550mg and is indicated for the reduction in recurrence of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients ≥18 years of age. It is reimbursed in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
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Notes to Editors
About Travellers’ Diarrhoea
Travellers’ diarrhoea is a stomach and intestinal infection that occurs as a result of unsanitary handling of food.
Approximately 50–80% of TD is caused by bacterial infections; enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the most common cause overall. Other bacterial causes include enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), Shigella,Campylobacter and Salmonella species. 3
About XIFAXAN® 200mg film-coated tablets
XIFAXAN® 200mg is indicated in Australia for patients (12 years and older) with travellers’ diarrhoea caused by non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli. XIFAXAN® 200mg is a broad spectrum antibiotic that targets commensal gut bacteria, acting on Gram-negative and Gram-positive aerobes and anaerobes.
XIFAXAN® 200mg is effective against non-invasive strains of E.coli, one of the most common causes of travellers’ diarrhoea.1,4,5,6
XIFAXAN® 200mg is virtually non-absorbed, acting locally in the gut.1,7 It has a tolerability profile similar to placebo,4,6 and clinically relevant resistance has not been observed to date,8making it a valuable option when needing an antibiotic for the treatment of travellers’ diarrhoea.
Product under licence from Alfa Wassermann S.p.A. XIFAXAN® and TARGAXAN® are registered trademarks of the Alfa Wassermann group of companies, licensed to the Norgine group of companies.
About Norgine
Norgine is a European specialist pharmaceutical company that has been established for over 100 years. In 2015, Norgine’s total revenue was EUR 317 million and the company employs over 1,000 people.
Norgine provides expertise and ‘know how’ in Europe to develop, manufacture and market products that offer real value to healthcare professionals, payers and patients. Norgine’s approach and infrastructure is integrated and focused upon ensuring that Norgine wins partnership opportunities for growth.
Norgine is headquartered in the Netherlands and its global operations are based in Amsterdam and in Harefield, UK. Norgine owns a R&D site in Hengoed, Wales and two manufacturing sites, one in Hengoed, Wales and one in Dreux, France.
For more information, please visit www.norgine.com
In 2012, Norgine established a complementary business Norgine Ventures, supporting innovative healthcare companies through the provision of debt-like financing in Europe and the US. For more information, please visit www.norgineventures.com.
NORGINE and the sail logo are trademarks of the Norgine group of companies.
About Alfa Wassermann
Alfa Wassermann is a private pharmaceutical company wholly owned by and subject to the direction and coordination of Alfasigma S.p.A. Alfa Wassermann has its headquarters in Bologna, Italy with its own Research, Development and Manufacturing facilities. In 2014, Alfa Wassermann net sales were more than €430million and the company employs over 1,400 people. It has a growing number of affiliate companies in both Europe as well as in emerging markets such as Russia, China and Mexico. Its main product rifaximin-α is a gut-selective antibiotic which is prescribed under the trade names of NORMIX®, XIFAXAN® and others, in 47 countries, including the USA. Alfa Wassermann has also developed other important products: sulodexide (VESSEL®), a heparinoid for thromboembolic diseases, and parnaparin (FLUXUM®), a low molecular weight heparin for the treatment and prophylaxis of deep-vein thrombosis. For more information, please visit Alfa Wassermann’s website at www.alfawassermann.com
ALFA WASSERMANN®, the ALFA WASSERMANN logo, NORMIX®, XIFAXAN® and TARGAXAN® are registered trademarks of Alfa Wassermann group of companies.
Media Contacts:
Isabelle Jouin, T: +44 (0)1895 453643
Charlotte Andrews, T: +44 (0)1895 453607
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GL/XIF/0216/0137
february 2016
References
1. XIFAXAN® 200 mg Product Information, 26 May 2015
2. Advising travellers about management of travellers’ diarrhoea. http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2015/januaryfebruary/advising-travellers-about-management-of-travellers%E2%80%99-diarrhoea/ [Accessed online 10 February 2016]
3. Diemert DJ. Prevention and self-treatment of traveler’s diarrhea. Clin Microbiol Rev 2006;19:583–94.
4. Taylor DN et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2006;74(6):1060-6
5. Adachi JA et al. Clin Infect Dis 2001;32(12):1706-9
6. Steffen R et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2003;98(5):1073-8
7. Jiang ZD et al. Antlmlcrob Agents Chemother 2000;44(8):2205-6
8. Petersen K-U. Krankenhauspharmazi 2013;34:354-9
