WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- AstraZeneca said Tuesday its heartburn drug Nexium has won U.S. approval of a new formulation to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The drug giant said the Food and Drug Administration approval allows use of Nexium's easier-to-swallow, Delayed-Release Oral Suspension formulation to treat symptomatic GERD, healing and maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis, and risk reduction of NSAID-associated gastric ulcers.
The oral suspension contains either 20 mg or 40 mg of esomeprazole, the same active ingredient used in Nexium Delayed-Release Capsules.
"Some patients with acid-related diseases have difficulties swallowing their oral medication when it is a solid pill," said Doug Levine, executive director of clinical development for Nexium. "This new prescription option to swallow an oral suspension of Nexium or to have it administered via a stomach tube provides these patients with an alternative method of administration that they can take instead of the Nexium capsule."
The new formulation will be available in the first quarter of 2007, AstraZeneca said.
