Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. Donates $500,000 to ASGE's IT&T Capital Campaign to Build a New State-of-the-Art GI Training Center

OAK BROOK, Ill., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Foundation has received a donation of $500,000 from Salix Pharmaceuticals to ASGE's IT&T Capital Campaign, a fundraising project to construct a new facility that will provide cutting-edge technology and training capabilities to significantly optimize current educational opportunities. The donation will be made over five years.

"We are grateful to Salix Pharmaceuticals for this very generous donation. Their pledge is an investment in the future of gastrointestinal endoscopy," said Thomas M. Deas, Jr., MD, MMM, FASGE, president, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. "'The Global Home for Endoscopy' will be a facility offering state-of-the-art gastrointestinal endoscopy training in an interactive environment to address the future needs of physicians, the endoscopy team and patients. It will attract physicians from around the world in addition to reaching physicians where they live through broadcast transmissions of educational courses from the IT&T center."

ASGE has been providing learning opportunities at its current Institute for Training & Technology (IT&T) in Oak Brook, Ill. The new facility will be situated on a 3.5-acre plot in Chicago's Downers Grove suburb, close to both O'Hare and Midway airports, and will serve as the global home of endoscopy, offering a full range of medical training and continuing medical education (CME).

"We applaud the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's leadership in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disease," stated Carolyn Logan, president and chief executive officer, Salix Pharmaceuticals. "Salix is committed to providing gastrointestinal-focused solutions for patients and healthcare providers, and with that commitment in mind, we are pleased to support this ASGE initiative which will expand educational opportunities for endoscopists."

The new facility will offer:

• State-of-the-art laboratory facilities that will house up to 16 hands-on stations to provide training simulations using the latest equipment and technologies in endoscopy; built-in flexibility to accommodate equipment and models for hands-on training and simulation in other specialties
• Advanced training models and simulators
• A 100-seat auditorium with an audience-response system
• In-house real-time DVD recording of courses and rapid duplication capabilities
• Additional conference space and breakout rooms
• The capability to broadcast and receive live transmissions anywhere in the world, including endoscopic instruction and demonstration of techniques as well as didactic lectures on research and educational findings
• The potential to provide real-time or recorded access online to IT&T hands-on and didactic courses via video streaming technology
• The ability for domestic and international faculty to participate in courses on site or via satellite to teach cutting-edge techniques live to anyone, anywhere in the world
• A resource for international members to extend training while in the U.S. attending Digestive Disease Week® or other meetings, allowing them to learn and practice techniques that are not standard in their regions of the world
• Rentable lab, auditorium, banquet and conference rooms
• The facility is designed to accommodate training by many medical specialties and is available for use by other organizations interested in renting space

ASGE IT&T Capital Campaign
ASGE's IT&T Capital Campaign is a fundraising project through the ASGE Foundation to construct the new facility that will provide cutting-edge technology and training capabilities to significantly optimize current educational opportunities. ASGE and the ASGE Foundation promote ongoing research in gastrointestinal endoscopy and its applications to disease management and prevention to ultimately improve the quality of endoscopy delivered to patients. The ASGE Foundation also funds programs designed to improve physician training and foster career development as well as supports important educational initiatives aimed at explaining the role of endoscopy in digestive health to the public. The IT&T Capital Campaign has raised funds from ASGE members and corporate partners, and as of November 2012, the campaign has surpassed its $6 million goal.

To learn more about the IT&T Capital Campaign, visit www.asge.org/ITTCampaign.

About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.

About Salix Pharmaceuticals
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Salix's strategy is to in-license late-stage or marketed proprietary therapeutic products, complete any required development and regulatory submission of these products, and market them through the Company's gastroenterology specialty sales and marketing team.

About Endoscopy
Endoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system.

Media Contact: Anne Brownsey
(630) 570-5635
abrownsey@asge.org

SOURCE American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy