BETHLEHEM, Pa., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Digestive Care, Inc. (DCI) announced today that the company has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has moved closer to obtaining approval of its New Drug Application (NDA) for PANCRECARB((R) )(pancrelipase) used for the treatment of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency.

DCI has been working closely with the FDA throughout the NDA process and will submit a complete and timely response to the Agency's requests. DCI is not required to conduct additional clinical trials on PANCRECARB((R) )prior to NDA approval. "We are pleased to have reached this important milestone and are committed to satisfying the Agency's remaining requests," said Dr. Tibor Sipos, President and Chief Scientific Officer.

About PANCRECARB((R))

PANCRECARB((R) )is a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and has been marketed in the United States for over a decade. It is the only enteric coated, bicarbonate buffered pancreatic enzyme available on the market today, and several U.S. patents protect PANCRECARB(R). In April 2004, the FDA determined that prescription Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency drug products are medically necessary and, accordingly, allowed the drug manufacturers four years (April 2008) to obtain approved new drug applications. The FDA then announced the deadline extension for unapproved pancreatic enzyme drug products to April 28, 2010, but only if the manufacturers have investigational new drug applications on active status on or before April 28, 2008 and have submitted NDAs on or before April 28, 2009.

About Digestive Care, Inc.

DCI is a privately held fully integrated pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing unique pharmaceutical products to alleviate complications and symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders. DCI was founded in 1990. The company holds 15 U.S. and foreign patents and has a national distribution network. The technology of DCI is based on the ability to commercially develop unique drug delivery systems for delivering bioactive molecules to their target site. The company has grown from an initial research based organization to a fully integrated pharmaceutical company encompassing Research, Product Development, Manufacturing, Packaging, Distribution, Marketing, and Sales. DCI's research into the controlled delivery of gastric acid resistant digestive enzymes and buffered bile acids through micro encapsulation led to the development of the successful drug product, PANCRECARB(R) (pancrelipase) which is manufactured in the USA. For information, please visit us at www.digestivecare.com.

SOURCE Digestive Care, Inc.