Benzinga | Dec 22, 2021 07:04AM EST

Bausch Health Highlights Publication Of RELISTOR In The Journal Of Emergency Medicine

Data from a Post-Hoc Analysis Supports the Use of Salix's RELISTOR for Patients with Opioid-Induced Constipation and Advanced Illness in the Emergency Department Setting

LAVAL, QC, Dec. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bausch Health Companies Inc. (TSX:BHC) "Bausch Health" and its gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals ("Salix"), one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, today announced that The Journal of Emergency Medicine has published a new post-hoc analysis of pooled results on the safety and efficacy of a single dose of RELISTOR(r) (methylnaltrexone bromide) injection in patients with severe illness and opioid-induced constipation (OIC) who had insufficient response to laxative therapy.

Entitled, "First Dose Efficacy of Methylnaltrexone in Patients with Severe Medical Illness and Opioid-Induced Constipation: A Pooled Analysis," the study results demonstrated that an initial dose of RELISTOR injection effectively produced rescue-free laxation (RFL) in greater proportions of severely ill patients with OIC compared to placebo (61.4% within 4 hours vs. 16%, and 72.1% within 24 hours vs. 40.1%).

OIC is prevalent among patients with advanced illness presenting to the emergency department (ED). In particular, patients who are prescribed opioids for advanced illness who experience constipation have a significantly increased risk of emergency department visits, hospitalization rates, treatment costs and medical costs. The objective of this post hoc analysis of pooled results from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials was to assess the efficacy and safety of a single RELISTOR injection dose for OIC patients with severe medical illness, having insufficient response to laxative therapy and impairment of functional status.

"In this analysis, the rapid onset of RELISTOR demonstrates how it provides early rescue-free laxation without compromising opioid analgesia," said Dr. Frank Peacock, lead author and director of research at Baylor College of Medicine. "The publication of this data set supports the value of RELISTOR as being clinically useful for the types of patients who frequently visit the emergency department for OIC."

Per the study, there was no observable effect of RELISTOR injection treatment on the efficacy of opioid analgesia, indicating that pain control was maintained. Side effects of RELISTOR were mostly gastrointestinal in nature, including abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, and vomiting, and declined from treatment day one to day two.