Mesalamine maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 154: 863

Source: The Mesalamine Study Group: An oral preparation of mesalamine as long-term maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 204-211

The efficacy and safety of a pH-sensitive, polymer-coated oral preparation of mesalamine in maintaining remission of quiescent ulcerative colitis was investigated in a multicentre trial. The 264 participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or the mesalamine (0.8 g/d or 1.6 g/d). Treatment success was defined as maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis, as indicated by endoscopic findings, for the 6-month study period. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that both treatment groups had greater rates of treatment success and longer times until relapse than the control group. The mesalamine was well tolerated, and no serious side effects or hematologic or biochemical abnormalities were found.

| CMAJ March 15, 1996 (vol 154, no 6) |