Studies Support Use of Enteryx for GERD

The results of four clinical trials have demonstrated patient satisfaction and the effectiveness of the Enteryx procedure in relieving the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Enteryx is an outpatient procedure that usually takes less than an hour to complete. A doctor passes a long flexible tube called an endoscope through a patient's mouth and into the esophagus. The endoscope lets the doctor see the lining of the patient's esophagus and stomach. A small needle, inserted through the working channel of the endoscope, is used to inject the Enteryx solution, a copolymer, into the muscle layer of the esophagus. Once injected, the Enteryx solution forms a soft, sponge-like material designed to help the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) form a more effective barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, reducing the symptoms of GERD. Enteryx is the product of Boston Scientific Corp. (Natick, MA, USA).

"These clinical trial results demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Enteryx procedure at controlling GERD symptoms, and show that the Enteryx procedure contributes to high levels of patient satisfaction as compared to daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatments,” observed Glen Lehman, M.D., professor of medicine and radiology, department of medicine, Indiana University Medical Center (Bloomington, IN, USA; www.indiana.edu/medical).

The trial results were presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week conference in Chicago (IL, USA) in May 2005. In one trial, a questionnaire revealed that patients who had the Enteryx procedure reported substantial improvement in GERD symptom control, freedom to eat and drink, ability to sleep better, and overall higher rates of treatment satisfaction.




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