Published on December 14, 2009 at 4:17 AM
Elan Drug Technologies, a business unit of Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE:
ELN) announces the approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour
and Welfare of EMEND® (aprepitant) for the treatment of
cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. EMEND®,
which was developed by a subsidiary of Merck & Co Inc., Whitehouse
Station, N.J., USA and licensed to Ono Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. for the
Japanese market, is the first licensed product approved in Japan that
incorporates Elan Drug Technologies’ NanoCrystal® technology.
NanoCrystal® technology, enables formulation of poorly water
soluble compounds for all routes of administration. For EMEND®,
this technology advance eliminates a food requirement and improves
bioavailability by 600%. EMEND® was confirmed to be effective
for both acute and delayed phases of nausea and vomiting in Japanese
clinical trials, and becomes the first therapy approved for treatment of
delayed phase nausea and vomiting (24 hours or later after start of
cancer chemotherapy) in Japan.
“The approval of EMEND® is a significant achievement for our
NanoCrystal® technology, as it marks the first Japanese
approval of a product incorporating this technology in this very
important market,” said Shane Cooke, Executive Vice President and Head
of Elan Drug Technologies. “We hope this is the first of many products
using our NanoCrystal® technology to be launched in Japan.”
NanoCrystal® technology is a proprietary technology developed
by Elan Drug Technologies through Elan Pharma International Limited and
other Elan affiliates. Five licensed products have now been approved
using the NanoCrystal® technology by various health
authorities including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Products incorporating the NanoCrystal® technology are sold
in markets worldwide.
http://www.elandrugtechnologies.com/