News
New uses for Nascobal treatment
Nascobal, the drug produced by Nastech Pharmaceutical and designed to treat vitamin B12 deficiency, has been granted approval by the FDA for use in the treatment of patients suffering from HIV, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease.
Nascobal, which has been distributed in the US by German company Schwarz Pharma since 1997, is a nasally-delivered drug designed to maintain vitamin B12 levels. The approval of the extended use of the drug came after a number of clinical studies which showed that Nascobal was effective in maintaining vitamin B12 levels among sufferers of the four diseases.
Crohn's disease can cause inflammation of the intestines, making it hard for sufferers to absorb the vitamin, but the nasal delivery technique used by Nascobal bypasses this problem and makes it a more effective way of increasing intake of the vitamin than supplements, the company said.
Studies have also shown that HIV sufferers are less likely to see their condition develop into full-blown AIDS if they have higher serum vitamin B12 levels, while low levels of the vitamin in multiple sclerosis sufferers have been linked to demyelination, the destruction of the sheath which protects nerve cells and can cause neurological problems.