title: Experience with Eudragit-S-coated mesalamine (Asacol) in inflammatory bowel disease. An open study.
abstract: We reviewed the courses of 63 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated in a private gastroenterology practice. All were allergic, unresponsive, or in some way intolerant of sulfasalazine and therefore were treated with Eudragit-S-coated mesalamine (Asacol). Thirty-eight patients had ulcerative colitis (UC) and 25 had Crohn's disease. In 22 and 14, respectively, mesalamine was used to treat active disease; in 16 and 11, respectively, it was introduced to maintain remission. In some patients, mesalamine was used along with other medications. Symptomatic and endoscopic response was seen in seven of nine (77%) with active UC treated with measalamine alone; remission was maintained in seven of eight (94%) when mesalamine was used alone. Therapeutic success was noted in eight of 10 (80%) with active Crohn's disease, and remission was maintained in seven of nine (78%) when mesalamine was used alone. Adverse reactions of varying severity occurred in 21 of 63 (33%), but the drug had to be terminated in only 9 of 63 (14%). Eudragit-S-coated mesalamine appears to be effective in the treatment and maintenance of remission of UC in 82% of those patients allergic or intolerant to the parent drug, sulfasalazine. Furthermore, contrary to what was expected, we found it effective in a much larger percentage of patients with Crohn's disease (79%) than the parent drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Korelitz
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D019804:Mesalamine; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013608:Tablets, Enteric-Coated
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids; D005782:Gels; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D013608:Tablets, Enteric-Coated; C038300:methylmethacrylate-methacrylic acid copolymer; D019804:Mesalamine