Mission Pharmacal Company Release: Most Common Curable STD A Significant Public Health Concern When Untreated, May Contribute To Spread Of HIV

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Pharmacal today announced the launch of a new Web resource, http://www.Tindamax.com , designed to educate visitors about trichomoniasis, or "trich," the most common curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. In addition to offering facts and news about trich online, the Web site will also enable visitors to sign up to receive printed educational materials. The new site was launched at the Mission Pharmacal exhibit during the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists annual clinical meeting in Washington, D.C.

"We are pleased to be able to offer a comprehensive site where consumers can learn more about the risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of trichomoniasis, a relatively unknown and underserved condition," said Neill Walsdorf, Jr., president of Mission Pharmacal.

Underlining the need for broader education about trich, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released findings from the first report on the prevalence of trich in a nationally representative sample of American women. The report found that 3.1 percent of respondents were infected with trichomoniasis. An estimated 7.4 million new cases of trich are reported annually in the United States today, compared with 3 million new cases of chlamydia and 700,000 cases of gonorrhea, according to the CDC's STD Web site.

Because trich is generally asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic, trich-infected individuals are often in the dark about their infection, leaving them at greater risk of contracting and/or transmitting HIV by remaining sexually active. Trich appears to enhance the transmission of HIV by both men and women to an uninfected partner by inducing an inflammatory response in the body, bringing a large influx of the white blood cells that act to defend the body. These include HIV target cells to which HIV particles can bind. The microscopic hemorrhages and inflammation in genital tissues caused by trich in the HIV-infected person may also increase the level of virus-laden body fluids and the number of HIV-infected white blood cells in the genital area, which increase the risk of transmission.

Tindamax(R) (tinidazole tablets) is an FDA-approved, one-day-one-dose treatment for trichomoniasis that has demonstrated cure rates of 92 to 100 percent. Tindamax(R) is recommended as one of the drugs of choice for treating trich by the CDC and has been shown to be better tolerated than metronidazole, the current standard of treatment.

"As the most prevalent curable STD in the United States, the timely diagnosis and treatment of trichomoniasis may play an important role in curbing HIV infection. Physicians need to be vigilant about testing for trich in patients who are sexually active because they may not experience any symptoms," stated Dr. Jane Schwebke, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Fortunately, trichomoniasis can be cured with single dose therapy in both women and men."

About Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, which is caused by the single-celled parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. There are an estimated 7.4 million cases of trich each year in the U.S.

Trich is often asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic. Signs and symptoms of trichomoniasis in women include itching, redness and a yellow, green or grey vaginal discharge that may be frothy or sticky and have a foul odor. Urination and intercourse may be painful, and the symptoms may worsen during menstruation. When symptoms are present in men, they may consist of urethral discharge and irritation.

When left untreated, trichomoniasis may enhance both the acquisition and transmission of HIV. The genital inflammation caused by trichomoniasis can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV infection if she is exposed to the virus. Trich also has been shown to increase the risk of infertility in women and may play a role in promoting cervical cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease. In a large Finnish study, trich was associated with a six-fold increased risk of cervical cancer in women compared with those who were uninfected. The STD has also been linked to preterm birth and postoperative infection in women, and lower sperm motility and nongonococcal urethritis in men.

Sexual partners should be treated simultaneously for maximum efficacy and prevention of re-infection. More information on trich is available at http://www.trichomoniasis.net .

About Tindamax(R)

Tindamax(R), a second-generation 5-nitroimidazole compound, is indicated in the United States for the treatment of trichomoniasis, the intestinal infections giardiasis and intestinal amebiasis, and amebic liver abscess. It has been approved for use in the United States since May 2004 and is recommended as one of the drugs of choice for the treatment of trichomoniasis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Full prescribing information for Tindamax(R), as well as information about trichomoniasis, is available at http://www.Tindamax.com .

About Mission Pharmacal

Mission Pharmacal, the maker of Citracal(R), is a family-owned pharmaceutical company based in San Antonio. For more than 50 years, the company has been dedicated to identifying unmet health needs in the marketplace and developing innovative prescription and over-the-counter products to meet them. Currently, Mission Pharmacal provides physicians and consumers with pharmaceutical, nutritional and diagnostic products. For more information, visit http://www.missionpharmacal.com .

CONTACT: Magali St. John Sutton of GCI Group, +1-212-537-8104,mstjohnsutton@gcigroup.com, for Mission Pharmacal