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A drug used to improve food digestion in patients whose bodies do not produce enough enzymes in the pancreas has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Johnson & Johnson’s Pancreaze will help patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, or those who have had all or a part of the pancreas removed.
Before the ruling by the FDA, the only other approved products patients could obtain to help them produce pancreatic enzymes were Creon, made by Abbott Products, and Zenpep, produced by Eurand Pharmaceuticals.
“The approval of Pancreaze, along with Creon and Zenpep, allows patients and healthcare professionals to choose the approved pancreatic-enzyme product that is appropriate for them,” said Donna Griebel, director of the FDA’s division of gastroenterology products.
The FDA estimates that 200,000 or more patients in the United States need the enzyme products.
Copyright Press Association 2010
Johnson & Johnson
