Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Tharimmune announced key leadership changes with Sireesh Appajosyula becoming CEO and Vincent LoPriore appointed Executive Chairman in June 2025.

Komodo Health's healthcare intelligence platform enabled 31 research studies presented at the 2025 ISPOR global conference, including three studies led by Komodo researchers and 27 collaborative studies with academic institutions and Life Sciences companies.

• Several companies are actively developing novel therapies for hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neuropsychiatric condition resulting from advanced liver dysfunction. • Key players like Salix Pharmaceuticals and Vedanta Biosciences are advancing treatments such as Xifaxan and VE-303, showing promise in clinical trials. • Emerging therapies focus on innovative mechanisms like gut microbiota modulation and ammonia-lowering agents to improve patient outcomes. • Clinical trials are assessing various routes of administration and molecule types to address the unmet needs in HE treatment.

• Bausch Health's RED-C program investigates a novel rifaximin formulation (SSD-40IR) for delaying the onset of first overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) hospitalization in cirrhosis patients. • The Phase 3 trials are randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, enrolling adults with cirrhosis and medically controlled ascites but no prior OHE history. • Topline data from the RED-C trials, which have completed enrollment across 398 sites in 17 countries, are anticipated in the first half of 2026. • Rifaximin SSD-40IR aims to enhance gastrointestinal solubility and minimize systemic exposure, potentially improving OHE prevention compared to existing treatments.

• A post-hoc analysis revealed that rifaximin monotherapy significantly reduced overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) recurrence compared to lactulose monotherapy over 6 months. • Rifaximin demonstrated a longer time to breakthrough OHE episodes and significantly lower all-cause mortality compared to lactulose in patients with cirrhosis. • The study highlights rifaximin as a potential preferred option for secondary prophylaxis of OHE, especially for patients with lactulose intolerance or adherence issues. • Despite the higher cost of rifaximin, its effectiveness in reducing hospital readmissions and improving patient outcomes may offset the initial expense.

• Analysis of two randomized trials reveals that Xifaxan monotherapy is more effective than lactulose in reducing overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) recurrence and mortality. • New data highlights Xifaxan's impact on reducing rehospitalizations for OHE in both commercially insured and Medicare patient populations. • Plenvu's efficacy as a bowel preparation medication is confirmed in colonoscopy patients with comorbid conditions or those on medications affecting bowel prep quality.