New Resource For Menopause Has Arrived: Upsher-Smith Debuts Redesigned Divigel® Website

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. today announced the launch of its new, enhanced website for Divigel^® (estradiol gel) 0.1%, www.divigel.com.  The updated site, with its comforting spa-like feel, delivers comprehensive information to the approximately 70 million women over the age of 50 who may be seeking information about menopause.¹ 

"With the redesign of the Divigel^® website, our goal was to make it warm and inviting, and rich with content and resources, so that women can feel confident that they've arrived at a trusted source for accurate information," said Glenn MacEachern, Director – Product Marketing, Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.  "We hope that the information on divigel.com will help empower women to speak openly with their healthcare professional about their menopausal symptoms and available treatment options."

The newly designed, easy-to-navigate website includes a wealth of general information about menopause to help guide women through their menopause journey.  The Resources and Support section offers a personalized discussion guide on how to get the conversation started about menopause with healthcare professionals, a downloadable and printer-friendly patient education brochure, and links to health and menopause resources.  Patients can also learn about how Divigel^® works and request a non-medicated gel sample to see how easily the gel is applied, how quickly it dries, and how elegantly it absorbs without mess or residue. 

For patients who are prescribed Divigel^®, saving money is easy and just a few clicks away at divigel.com.  Patients can print the Patient Savings Coupon, bring it to their local pharmacy, and pay no more than $25 on their Divigel^® co-pay amount.  The Patient Savings  Coupon is for eligible patients only and limited to a maximum savings of $25 each on four Divigel^® prescriptions.  Offer expires on December 31, 2013.

About Divigel^®
Divigel^® is used to treat moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.  Generally, women should be started at 0.25 mg/day of Divigel^®.  Divigel^®, a bioidentical, transdermal estrogen gel, offers the lowest FDA-approved dose of transdermal estradiol gel or spray (0.25 mg/day estradiol) for hot flashes.^2-5  The FDA recommends the lowest effective dose with any estrogen therapy, including Divigel^®, for the shortest amount of time to achieve personal treatment goals.^2,6  The estrogen in Divigel^® is plant-based and bioidentical to the primary estrogen produced by a woman's ovaries before menopause.^2,7,8  Divigel^® is a quick-drying gel that is odorless when dry, and is available in convenient, premeasured, individual-use packets to ensure precise and accurate dosing.  One packet of gel is applied daily to a discreet area on the upper thigh.  After the gel is applied, estradiol absorbs directly into the bloodstream, without having to first pass through the liver.²   Divigel^® offers dosing flexibility with three different strengths (0.25 mg estradiol/day, 0.5 mg estradiol/day and 1.0 mg estradiol/day) to individualize treatment for each woman.

Important Safety Information for Patients

Divigel^® should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding, currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus, had a stroke or heart attack; currently have or have had blood clots, currently have or have had liver problems, have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, are allergic to Divigel^® or any of its ingredients, or think you may be pregnant.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical problems and the medicines you take, if you are going to have surgery or will be on bedrest, and if you are breastfeeding.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms: new breast lumps, unusual vaginal bleeding, changes in vision or speech, sudden new severe headaches, or severe pains in your chest or legs with or without shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue.

Common side effects that may occur with Divigel^® include headache; breast pain; irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting; stomach or abdominal cramps, bloating; nausea and vomiting; hair loss; fluid retention and vaginal yeast infection.

Serious but less common side effects include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, dementia, breast cancer, cancer of the uterus, ovarian cancer, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, gallbladder disease, liver problems, and enlargement of benign uterus tumors ("fibroids").

Alcohol-based gels are flammable.  Avoid fire, flame or smoking until the gel has dried.

Please see Patient Information for Divigel^® and talk to your healthcare provider. For more information, call 1-888-650-3789 or visit www.divigel.com.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects to Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. at 1-855-899-9180, or to the FDA by visiting www.fda.gov/medwatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088.

About Upsher-Smith
Upsher-Smith, founded in 1919, is an independent and privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota that focuses on product growth and innovation for branded, branded-generic and generic pharmaceuticals.  Upsher-Smith has a particular focus on providing therapies to assist people suffering from central nervous system diseases (including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease) and also markets products relating to cardiology, dermatology and women's health.  For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.

References

1.     AACE Menopause Guidelines Revision Task Force.  AACE Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Menopause. Endocr Pract. 2011;17 (Suppl 6): 3
2.     Divigel^® [package insert].  Minneapolis, MN: Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.; 2012.
3.     EstroGel^® [package insert]. Herndon, VA: ASCEND Therapeutics, Inc.; 2009.
4.     Elestrin^™ [package insert]. Philadelphia, PA: Azur Pharma, Inc.; 2012.
5.     Evamist [package insert].  St. Louis, MO: Ther-Rx Corp.; 2011.
6.     US Food and Drug Administration.  Menopause and Hormones.                                     http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/ucm118624.htm.  Accessed March 14, 2013.
7.     The North American Menopause Society.  Menopause Guidebook.  7^th ed.  Mayfield Heights, OH: The North American Menopause Society; 2012.
8.     Data on file.  Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.; 2013.

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SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories