Eisai Co., Ltd. was given a testimonial award at the 52th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Premature and Newborn Medicine held on November 24, 2007.
The testimonial award was presented in recognition Eisai's distinguished contribution to premature and newborn medicine through the development of Apnission injection 15mg, representing Eisai's sincere response to the request from the Society to develop an injectable form of aminophylline in a diluted concentration suitable for preterm infants.
Apnea of prematurity is potentially fatal disease occurs in preterm infants. Before Apnission injection 15mg was made available, aminophylline, a drug to prevent and treat symptoms such as difficulty breathing caused by asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other lung diseases, is used to treat and save premature infants with apnea. But the use of aminophylline for premature infants with apnea was not an approved indication, and therefore, was neither covered under the medical insurance nor the compensation program even when a drug-related adverse event was reported. In addition, there had been potential risks such as overdoses due to dilution error, contamination or infection, which were all associated with the necessity to dilute adult formulation of aminophylline before administrating it to infant patients. Japan Pediatric Society, Japan Society for Premature and Newborn Medicine, and Japan Society of Developmental Pharmacology and Therapeutics, to address these issues, requested Eisai to develop aminophylline in a diluted concentration suitable for preterm infants, which Eisai successfully responded to.
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The testimony award says: “In recognition of Eisai's extraordinary efforts made for the advancement of the infant medicine through developing a drug for pediatric use to respond to the request of the Society.”
