For Immediate Release
Company name: DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED
Representative: Takashi Shoda, President and Representative Director
(Code no.: 4568, First Section, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Stock Exchanges)
Please address inquiries to Toshio Takahashi, Corporate Officer in Charge,
Corporate Communications Department
Telephone: +81-3-6225-1126
http://www.daiichisankyo.co.jp/
Ultrasound Contrast Agent Sonazoid(R) for Injection Released for Sale
Tokyo, January 10, 2007 - DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED announced today that Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (head office: Tokyo; President: Kiyoshi Morita; hereafter Daiichi Pharmaceutical), the wholly owned subsidiary of DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED has released for sale the ultrasound contrast agent Sonazoid® for Injection.
Sonazoid® for injection was developed jointly by Daiichi Pharmaceutical and GE Healthcare (Headquarters: Chalfont St. Giles, U.K.; President & CEO: Joseph M. Hogan), the healthcare unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). A minimally invasive contrast agent, Sonazoid® for Injection is characterized by a prolonged ability to maintain its contrasting attributes. The agent promises to improve efficiency in differentiation and presence diagnosis when diagnosing lesions associated with hepatic tumors, as well as aid assessment of local-treatment effectiveness and evaluation of post-treatment progress in liver cancer patients.
Japan is the first country where Sonazoid® for Injection will become available. In addition, it is the first time for such a new-generation ultrasound contrast agent to be launched in Japan.
| The characteristics of Sonazoid® are as follows: |
| 1. |
The microbubbles contained in the agent remain stable when subject to ultrasonic sound waves, enabling continuous vascular and Kupffer imaging. |
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| 2. |
The agent is effective when performing differentiation diagnosis on hepatic tumors as well as detection of small lesions of the liver, thereby providing a diagnosis capability comparable to that of a CT scan. |
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| 3. |
The agent functions as an effective guide for locating the region of treatment (e.g., determining the exact location of a lesion) when performing radio frequency ablation, as well as when assessing the effectiveness of treatment. |
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| 4. |
The dosage of the agent is only 0.015mL/kg when administered as a suspension liquid. After administration, the agent is removed during exhalation. |
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| 5. |
Given the ease of examinations performed using the agent, ultrasound scans can be carried out at the patient's bedside. |
| Drug category |
Ultrasound contrast agent |
Product
category in
Japan |
88729 |
| Product name |
Sonazoid® for Injection |
| Generic name |
Perflubutane |
| Effects |
Aids ultrasound imagingof lesions associated with hepatic tumors |
Directions &
Dosage |
Suspend 16µL (1 vial) of perflubutane microbubbles in the included 2mL injection solvent and administer the suspension intravenously. Usual dosage for an adult is 0.015mL/kg body weight in a single administration. |
| Storage |
To be stored at room temperature |
| Restrictions |
Designated drug; prescription drug |
| Packaging |
Single 16µL vial of Sonazoid® for Injection
Single 2mL bottle of injection-use water for dissolution, pursuant to Japanese Pharmacopoeia
One Chemoprotect® spike for use as suspension liquid adjustment apparatus |
Date of
approval |
October 20, 2006 |
| NHI price |
¥13,338 per package of Sonazoid® for Injection |
| Launch date |
January 10, 2007 |
Sales &
manufacture |
Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. |
| Co-developer |
GE Healthcare |
| Sonazoid is a registered trademark of GE Healthcare |
End