MuGard

What is MuGard?

MuGard is a new, effective, mucoadhesive oral protectant, developed by Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., that is designed to form a protective hydrogel coating over the oral mucosa while a patient is undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy cancer treatments to the head and neck.

MuGard shields the tender membranes of the mouth and tongue, and provides instant numbing and protection against oral mucositis, a painful and common side effect of cancer therapy. As a ready-to-use oral mucositis mouth rinse, MuGard is convenient and easy to use.

FIRST DAY EVERY DAY

MuGard offers hope and help right from the start of cancer therapy. Patients undergoing cancer therapy can begin to show the painful signs of oral mucositis usually within 4 days after the beginning of cancer treatment. The condition can last six to eight weeks or longer after the treatments are concluded, depending upon several factors including the overall health and well-being of the patient.

MuGard should be started on the first day of cancer therapy, even before the signs and symptoms of oral mucositis are evident. Using MuGard from the first day of treatment, and every day during treatment, was demonstrated to lessen the impact of oral mucositis on many patients, and eliminate or significantly reduce the occurrence in nearly 50% of all patients.

In two separate comparisons, it was shown that mean oral mucositis scores were lower for patients using MuGard than for similar patients on standard care. One of the most striking features of the comparison is that 43% of patients on MuGard experienced no oral mucositis compared with only 7% in the historical control group.

Is MuGard Right for me?

Oral mucositis is a significant health issue for all cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy, especially head and neck cancer patients, and those who receive highly mucotoxic chemotherapy regimens like 5FU and many others.

In fact, oral mucositis is cited as the most troubling side effect by more than 40% of cancer treatment patients. The incidence and severity of oral mucositis varies depending upon the treatment regimen and modality. However, over 90% of all patients receiving radiotherapy to the head and neck, and up to 40% of those receiving chemotherapy will develop some degree of oral mucositis.