CHICAGO & RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) today announced the presentation of new data from its Phase III pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of rifaximin - a non-absorbed (<0.4%), gut selective antibiotic - in adult patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). These data, presented during two oral sessions at the annual meeting of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) being held this week in Chicago (May 30-June 4, 2009), demonstrated that rifaximin significantly reduced the risk of HE-related hospitalizations in patients with previous episodes of HE and showed a highly significant reduction in the risk of breakthrough HE during the six month study.
