InKine Pharmaceutical

InKine Pharmaceutical was a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for the gastroenterology market. Its flagship product, Visicol, was the first tablet-form bowel cleanser approved by the FDA for use prior to colonoscopy, providing a more convenient alternative to traditional large-volume liquid preparations. The company also developed OsmoPrep, a next-generation sodium phosphate tablet, and investigated treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease. In 2005, InKine was acquired by Salix Pharmaceuticals for approximately $210 million in a stock-for-stock transaction. This acquisition significantly strengthened Salix's position in the gastrointestinal therapeutic area by adding a unique portfolio of bowel cleansing agents.