Shire Presented Results of a New Database Analysis on Lialda(R) (Mesalamine) and Other 5-ASAs for Ulcerative Colitis at Digestive Di...( CHICAGO June 1 /- Shire plc (LSE: SHP...),Health

CHICAGO, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Shire plc (LSE: SHP, Nasdaq: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, presented the results of a 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) persistency analysis entitled, "Twelve-month Persistence with 5-aminosalicylic Acid Therapy: Results from a Large Pharmacy Database," at Digestive Disease Week, on May 31, 2009. Results showed that after 12 months of therapy for continuing patients, 20 percent of Lialda patients were continually persistent, 9 percent of Asacol(R) (mesalamine) patients, 7 percent (250mg) and 10 percent (500mg) of Pentasa(R) (mesalamine) patients, 10 percent of balsalazide [combined results from generic balsalazide disodium and Colazal(R) (balsalazide disodium)] patients, and 10 percent (500mg) of Dipentum(R) (olsalazine sodium) patients were persistent. Continually persistent patients were defined as those who refilled their prescription within a period of up to twice the duration of the prescription that preceded the refill. Lialda is an FDA-approved, once-daily oral medication for the induction of remission in patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). Safety and effectiveness of Lialda beyond eight weeks have not been established.

"Patients who have UC often face adherence challenges, and persistency is an important consideration in disease management," said Sunanda Kane, MD, MSPH, AGAF, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and lead investigator on database analysis. "We are pleased to have shared the results of the database analysis, which help us understand how many, and how often, patients are refilling their mesalamine prescriptions."

The database analysis evaluated the persistency of UC patients who filled a prescription for the aforementioned 5-
'/>"/>