Akzo Nobel Invests EUR 44 mln in Pharma Facilities in the United States; Investment To Prepare Organon's Production of pentasaccharide Org31540/SR90107.Business Editors ARNHEM, the Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2000 Organon or·ga·non or or·ga·num n. pl. or·ga·nons or or·ga·nums or or·ga·na 1. An organ. 2. A set of principles for use in scientific investigation. organon pl. organa [Gr.] organ. , the human healthcare business unit of Akzo Nobel Akzo Nobel is a multinational company, active in the fields of healthcare products, coatings and chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 62,000 people. , has today announced an investment of EUR EUR In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Euro. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. 44 mln (USD USD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. 38 mln) to prepare two facilities in the United States for the manufacture of a new blood-clot preventing drug (antithrombotic). The investment will prime Organon's manufacturing facilities in West Orange and Allentown, New Jersey
"The US pharmaceutical market is very dynamic and competitive, but is also very rewarding for innovative products. This investment aims at serving that market and is fully in line with our strategy to strengthen our US position", said Paul K. Brons, Akzo Nobel's board member responsible for the healthcare businesses. "The investment underscores the importance of this innovative fully synthetic drug which has shown such excellent results in the large scale clinical trials just completed. And additional studies for extended applications are already in progress." The new drug is intended for use in major orthopedic surgery Orthopedic Surgery Definition Orthopedic (sometimes spelled orthopaedic) surgery is surgery performed by a medical specialist, such as an orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon, trained to deal with problems that develop in the bones, joints, and ligaments , such as knee and hip surgery. Exhaustive clinical tests have indicated that in the prevention of venous thromboembolic thromboembolic pertaining to or emanating from thromboembolism. thromboembolic meningoencephalitis see hemophilosis. thromboembolic parasitism see thromboembolic colic. events (VTE VTE Vocational and Technical Education VTE Venous Thrombo Embolism VTE Vacuum Thermal Evaporation VTE Vientiane, Laos - Wattay (Airport Code) VTE Virtual Terminal Environment VTE Video Transfer Engine VTE Video Tape Editing ) it shows an overall relative risk reduction of 50% as compared to low molecular weight heparins, which are commonly prescribed to prevent VTE after orthopedic surgery. Akzo Nobel and Sanofi-Synthelabo plan to file the new treatment later this year for US and European approval. Last year, Organon sales in the US increased by 50%, thanks to the success of its new product launches over the last few years. Background information Earlier this month, Organon signed an agreement with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Synthelabo to commercialize and manufacture the new drug. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, joint ventures will market the drug via both companies' sales and distribution organizations in each of these countries. Organon and Sanofi will each hold 50% of the joint ventures, which will be consolidated proportionally. In Europe and the rest of the world (excluding Japan), where Sanofi-Synthelabo has considerable experience in the antithrombotics market, Sanofi will have the sole responsibility for the marketing and sale of the product. In consideration of Organon's continuous role in the joint research and development of the compound, Sanofi-Synthelabo will make milestone payments related to the approval of the product in the targeted indications. In addition, Organon will receive royalties on sales generated in Europe and the rest of the world. Results of four major phase III clinical studies into the prevention of venous thromboembolism thromboembolism /throm·bo·em·bo·lism/ (-em´bo-lizm) obstruction of a blood vessel with thrombotic material carried by the blood from the site of origin to plug another vessel. throm·bo·em·bo·lism n. following hip and knee surgery show that the new drug prevents more venous thromboembolic events (VTE) than the comparitor. The study results show that patients receiving the new treatment experienced a major clinical benefit in the prevention of VTE with an overall relative risk reduction of 50% over low molecular weight heparins. Minor and major bleeding risks were in line with those normally observed in major orthopedic surgery patients treated with low molecular weight heparins. The four phase III trials in the prevention of VTE following knee and hip surgery involved over 7,000 major orthopedic surgery patients in Europe, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States The United States and Canada share a unique legal relationship. U.S. law looks northward with a mixture of optimism and cooperation, viewing Canada as an integral part of U.S. economic and environmental policy. , and represented the largest phase III clinical development program performed in this indication. Further details of the studies will be presented during the 42nd American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 1-5 December, 2000. Note for the editor N.V. Organon is one of the pharmaceutical business units of Akzo Nobel and develops and produces pharmaceutical products in the fields such as gynecology, psychiatry, athero-thrombosis, and autoimmune diseases Autoimmune diseases A group of diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, in which immune cells turn on the body, attacking various tissues and organs. Mentioned in: Complement Deficiencies, Premature Menopause . Organon employs more than 11,700 employees worldwide and invests over 17% of its sales income in its drug discovery and development programs. Akzo Nobel, based in the Netherlands, serves customers throughout the world with healthcare products, coatings, and chemicals. Consolidated sales for 1999 (excluding Acordis) totaled some EUR 12 billion (USD 13 billion, GBP GBP In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the British Pound. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. 8 billion). At the beginning of 2000, the Company employed 68,000 people in 75 countries. Financial results for the third quarter of 2000 will be announced on October 25, 2000. Internet: http://www.akzonobel.com http://www.organon.com |
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