Fujisawa Gains FDA Approval to Manufacture Adenocard, Adenoscan at Abbott Labs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application from Fujisawa Healthcare Inc. (Deerfield, IL) to produce Adenoscan (adenosine) and Adenocard (adenosine) at Abbott Laboratories' Rocky Mount, NC manufacturing facility.

Adenocard, launched by Fujisawa in 1989, is used to block AV nodal re-entry and restore normal sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). Adenoscan, launched in 1995, is a vasodilator "stressing" agent utilized in myocardial perfusion imaging procedures, most notably nuclear imaging. Fujisawa has obtained licenses for both products from Medco Research Inc. The products are, and will continue to be, manufactured by American Pharmaceutical Partners Inc. at their Grand Island, NY facility.

Fujisawa Healthcare Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary pharmaceutical products in the United States and abroad. Fujisawa Healthcare is a subsidiary of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Osaka, Japan), a pharmaceutical manufacturer developing international operations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

For more information: Theron E. Odlaug, Executive VP of Operations, Administration, and Strategic Relations, Fujisawa Healthcare Inc., 3 Pkwy. North, Parkway North Ctr., Deerfield, IL 60015. Tel: 847-317-8800 or 800-888-7704. Fax: 847-317-7296.

Edited by Jim Pomager