Fisons Launches Gastrocrom For Mastocytosis

- Rhone-Poulenc Rorer's US subsidiary Fisons Corp has been granted approval to market Gastrocrom (cromolyn sodium) for the treatment of symptoms associated with mastocytosis, a rare but severe disease caused by excess accumulation of mast cells in various parts of the body. Gastrocrom is the only drug approved to treat the condition, which is characterized by severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, peptic ulceration, and in severe cases hypotension, hypertension and shock. Around 5,000 Americans have been diagnosed with the disease.