FDA approves NEXIUM for the Treatment of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome.(Industry News)

Pharmaceutical Processing, November, 2006

AstraZeneca has announced that the FDA has approved a new indication for the prescription proton pump inhibitor NEXIUM[R] (esomeprazole magnesium) for the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES). NEXIUM already is indicated for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults and children ages 12 to 17, and to reduce the risk of NSAID-associated gastric ulcers in at-risk patients.

ZES is a rare but serious chronic condition characterized by the development of tumors that secrete excessive levels of gastrin, a hormone that stimulates acid production by the stomach. "Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome is the prototypical gastric acid hypersecretory condition. Patients with this condition require long-term antisecretory therapy to reduce...