Emisphere Technologies, Inc. announced the U.S. commercial availability of Eligen B12, the first and only once-daily oral prescription medical food tablet shown to normalize B12 levels without the need for an injection. Eligen B12 is indicated for the dietary management of patients who have a medically-diagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency, associated with a disease or condition that cannot be managed by a modification of the normal diet alone. Eligen B12 is the first product to market using Emisphere's advanced Eligen Technology, which utilizes a carrier, salcaprozate sodium or SNAC, to chaperone B12 through the gastric lining and directly into the bloodstream independent of intrinsic factor, a protein made in the stomach that normally facilitates B12 absorption.

This groundbreaking technology may have potential application across a broad range of diseases and conditions, including diabetes and women's health needs. Most notably, Eligen Technology is being used to develop oral formulations of insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonists. Eligen B12, the first of multiple products in development that use Eligen Technology, fills a significant gap in the B12 treatment landscape, offering prescription strength B12 that is clinically proven to normalize B12 levels without the need for an injection.

This type of practical innovation is the backbone of commercial expansion, one that can address a number of existing unmet medical needs while having a meaningful impact on the lives of patients. Medical B12 deficiency is a serious medical problem that, if left untreated, can cause irreversible damage to nerve cells and other co-morbidities. It can occur with a range of conditions in which there is an impaired capacity to absorb vitamin B12, including pernicious anemia, Crohn's and celiac disease.

Long term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a commonly used treatment to reduce acid in the stomach, also can impair the body's ability to absorb B12. The launch of Eligen B12 marks a turning point for Emisphere as it advances into a full realization of a well-calculated commercial expansion strategy. As the company's first prescription product built on the groundbreaking Eligen Technology platform, Eligen B12's commercialization has been precisely implemented through a fully integrated and comprehensive go-to-market strategy that includes a nationally deployed field force, a full-scale retail pharmacy roll-out, a highly targeted advertising and promotional campaign, and a sophisticated medical education component.