China Aoxing Pharmaceutical receives SFDA approval for injectable drug to treat Ischaemic Cerebrovascular Disease

China-based and US-listed China Aoxing Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. announced that its main subsidiary, Hebei Aoxing Pharmaceutical Group Company, Ltd. has received from China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) approval for production of Ligustrazine Phosphate Injection for use in the treatment of ischaemic cerebrovascular disease, or ischaemic stroke.

According to the press release, stroke is a silent killer ranked the third leading cause of death in the adult population within China. It also mentions that Ligustrazine Phosphate is an effective intravenous injection drug in hospitals to treat this public heath problem. In a statement made in its press release, Chairman and the CEO of China Aoxing, Juan Yue Han said, “We are very excited to have another injection drug approved for our patients in hospital. This approval further underscores China Aoxing’s long-term commitment to developing high quality hospital care therapies. We are looking forward to launching this product in early 2009.”

A search of the drug brought up several versions of the same drug manufactured by other pharmaceutical companies in China. A picture of a similar product can be seen below.

Ligustrazine Phosphate Injection manufactured by another Pharmaceutical Company in China

It is worth noting, however, that this announcement made by the company was the second after obtaining a production license for Paracetamol and Caffeine Tablets, a controlled substance regulated by the SFDA, a week ago. Paracetamol and Caffeine Tablets are used in China to treat mild to moderate pain, such as headache, migraine, toothache, sore throat, muscular and rheumatic pain, nerve pain (neuralgia), backache (lumbago) and menstrual cramps. The tablets are also effective in relieving aches, pains, sore throat and fever associated with colds and flu.

New drug Hotmin® offered by Eisai to Improve Peripheral Blood Circulation

One of Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, Eisai Co. Ltd. is scheduled to release a new over-the-counter drug named Hotmin. According to the company’s press release, the new drug was designed to improve the peripheral blood circulation, and hence relieving symptoms of coldness in extremities and stiff shoulders.

With the product being mainly catered to women, as they tend to have poorer peripheral blood circulation than men due to differences in physical structure, Eisai have conducted a survey in Japan that more than half of the women in their 20s and 30s suffer from some kind of coldness in the extremities and/or suffer from stiff shoulders.

The new drug is to be sold in a tablet form, an taken orally and contains 3 main active ingredients: nicotinic acid in helping to dilate the peripheral vessels, ginseng extracts to increase blood flow, and d-alpha tocopherol succinate (a natural-type vitamin E). Through improving peripheral blood circulation, the drug is expected to optimize the delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, and assist in dispersing heat produced in the muscles around the body which will in turn relieve the symptoms of coldness in the extremities and stiff shoulders amongst women.

Picture from Eisai Co. Ltd.

Terumo’s US Subsidiary makes first successful implant of Heart Assist Device

Terumo Heart Inc., the US Subsidiary of Japan’s largest medical device company, Terumo announced last thursday that the first US patient implanted with its DuraHeart Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) has been discharged from the University of Michigan Health System. According to Terumo’s website, the LVAS is a third-generation rotary blood pump designed for long-term patient support who suffers from heart failure. The device is composed of a rotary centrifugal pump and an impeller that is suspended via electromagnetic means. 

Picture from Terumo Heart Inc.

The device works by helping the left ventricle pump oxygenated blood throughout the body. Since a failing heart cannot pump enough blood out to the body, the DuraHeart takes over the additional work. From the picture shown below, it is implanted just below the heart and a series of conduits allows the flow of blood between the heart and the device. Blood initially enters the DuraHeart LVAS through the Inflow Conduit, from the left ventricle. When the impeller is magnetically turned on by the motor, the blood is then pumped through the Outflow Conduit into the aorta, allowing blood flow to be restored to near normal levels. 

Picture from Terumo Heart Inc.

AtCor Medical signs agreements to provide clinical trial support services

AtCor Medical announced yesterday that it has signed two new agreements to supply SphygmoCor® systems and clinical trial support services to a leading international pharmaceutical company. The minimum total value of these contracts is USD$1.6 million, the majority of which will be recognised in the current financial year. These new orders bring the minimum total value of pharmaceutical trial contracts secured by AtCor over the past 60 days to over US $2.8 million.

The company’s SphygmoCor®  family of products provides tools for non-invasive assessment of the cardiovascular system and autonomic function. The technology that powers these products is centred on a transfer function that derives the pressure wave at the ascending aorta. The transfer function is a patented mathematical model of the properties of the brachial artery and provides important central data through a non-invasive recording of the pressure wave at the radial artery. SphygmoCor allows the physician to see the cardiovascular state of the patient, where it really matters – at the heart.