Shire launches once-daily mesalamine for ulcerative colitis in Canada

Mezavant is claimed to be the first and only Health Canada approved once-daily oral formulation of mesalamine, and the first mesalamine to be approved by Health Canada for the induction of clinical and endoscopic remission. It is available by prescription for oral administration in dosages of 2.4g/day to 4.8g/day, allowing patients to take as few as two tablets, once-daily. Other currently available mesalamines require two to four times daily dosing and up to eight pills a day.

Mezavant is the only ulcerative colitis treatment that utilizes Multi Matrix System technology Technology, which combines a pH dependent gastro-resistant coating, thus delaying and extending the delivery of effective concentrations of mesalamine to the site of inflammation in the colon over an extended period of time (from six hours after dosing to beyond 24 hours post-dose).