LACTULOSE
>> from sugar to lactulose
Fresenius Kabi Austria has one of the world's largest outputs of the disaccharide lactulose, a versatile drug used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders und liver diseases.
Lactulose is produced from lactose, a sugar occurring naturally in milk, via an isomerization process developed by Fresenius Kabi in Linz. Lactulose acts as a mild relaxant for the treatment of constipation and other intestinal problems. Its detoxifying properties are used in the therapy of portal-systemic encephalopathy, a late stage complication of liver cirrhosis.
After oral intake, the syrup reaches the colon unchanged, where it is metabolized into short-chain organic acids. This increases the osmotic pressure, which in turn results in an increased volume of the colon and an enhancement of peristalsis. The metabolite products of lactulose also bind ammonia, thereby reducing its level in the blood stream - which can save life in the case of severe liver failure.
Lactulose is well tolerated and may be administered to pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and geriatric patients. This makes it the 'gold standard' in therapeutic practice world wide. In Linz lactulose complies with the requirements of the European Pharmacopeia and the USP. Production is in accordance with European and US GMP guidelines.
Several tonnes of bulk lactulose syrup are produced in a semi-continuous process each day. A part of the output is filled and packaged in Linz. The remainder is distributed in various sized containers, from 60 kg to 25 tonnes, to customers throughout the world.
www.lactulose.at
www.laevolac.com