If this is not your name, click here.
| | If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| |  Helisal Breakthrough in Ulcer Management TORONTO, May 28, 1996 -- A new blood test which detects H. pylori, the main cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers, can now be done in the doctor's office in a matter of minutes. The Helisal(TM) one-drop rapid blood test is quick and easy for patients and allows physicians to provide an immediate diagnosis. "The Helisal(TM) blood test is an important diagnostic tool for all physicians,'' said Dr. Richard Hunt, professor of medicine and gastroenterology at McMaster University. "It will represent a significant advance for primary care physicians treating patients who suffer from dyspepsia and who have a history of ulcers,'' he added. "One in 10 Canadians will develop a gastric or duodenal ulcer during their lifetime -- there are about 30,000 new cases of ulcers diagnosed each year,'' he continued. The Helisal(TM) one-drop rapid blood test is the first of its kind in Canada and is distributed by Axcan Pharma. Physicians can obtain the test from key medical supply distributors and some laboratories across the country. They can also call 1-800-565-3255 for more information. Patients will find the Helisal(TM) one-drop rapid blood test much more convenient than an endoscopy with biopsy because they won't have to wait for an appointment nor will they have to lose a day's work for the procedure. The Helisal(TM) blood test is also more comfortable for patients than an endoscopy which is a technique wherein a tube is inserted in the mouth and passed down the back of the throat to the stomach which the specialist then examines. With the Helisal(TM) test, a small prick at the end of a finger and one drop of blood is all it takes. The Helisal(TM) blood test will cost patients about $40 when they have it done in their doctor's office. By comparison, an endoscopy with a biopsy costs about $250 including laboratory fees. "Given the number of endoscopies performed yearly, the Helisal(TM) rapid blood test should provide substantial savings for the healthcare system,'' said Dr. Patrick Colin, Director of Clinical Research at Axcan Pharma. Discovered in the early 1980s, the bacteria survives and proliferates in the stomach. For several years the international medical community has recognized that H. pylori is the main cause of the majority of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Some cases are also attributed to anti-inflammatory medication. "Patients with the H. pylori infection produce antibodies which can be detected in the blood. The Helisal(TM) rapid blood test detects the antibodies developed by H. pylori rather than the organism itself,'' explained Dr. Hunt. "In a sense, the Helisal(TM) test detects the footprint of the H. pylori bacteria,'' he concluded. The incidence of H. pylori is fairly substantial; about 30 per cent of Canadians could have it and this rate can vary from one age group to another. A 10-year-old child has little chance of being infected while a 50 year-old adult has a one-in-two chance of having it. Left untreated, the H. pylori bacteria can live in the stomach for years or even a lifetime. Often people who are infected don't have any symptoms or any serious problems. About 15 per cent of people infected with H. pylori will develop an ulcer during their lifetime. Even if an ulcer is cured with traditional anti-ulcer medication, there is an 80 per cent risk of recurrence after one year if the infection is not completely eradicated with antibiotic treatment. Following successful eradication therapy, the recurrence rate is less than 5 per cent within a year thus eliminating costly maintenance anti-ulcer medications ($500 to $1,000 yearly per patient). It's likely that the H. pylori bacteria is associated with stomach cancer and the World Health Organization has classified this bacteria as a group one carcinogen. An infected person has a three to six fold greater chance of developing stomach cancer during their lifetime. Founded in 1983, Axcan Pharma Inc. is an innovative Canadian pharmaceutical company which concentrates its business mainly in the area of gastroenterology. The company employs over 100 people in Canada with a head office located in Mont St-Hilaire on Montreal's South Shore and subsidiaries and offices in Laval, just north of Montreal, Calgary and in Plattsburgh, New York.
|
