November 30, 1999

Terumo enters the prefilled syringe market Introducing new 'Vitaject' and 'Mediject'

Tokyo-based Terumo Corporation has entered the prefilled syringe market with the December 1 release of Vitaject, a general vitamin preparation for use as total parenteral nutrition, and ten Mediject products, a range of injections to correct electrolyte imbalances and dextrose solutions.

What is a prefilled syringe?

Drugs for injection are currently often contained in ampoules and vials. The contents of these must be drawn up or dissolved in a single-use syringe, and are then either injected or combined with other drugs. Instead of this procedure, it is much more sensible, for a variety of reasons, to package the medication in the syringe from the start. In the U.S., it is said that already over 20% of injected drug preparations are of the prefilled variety.

Main features of the Terumo Prefilled Syringe

1. Made of plastic
   Many of the prefilled syringes already on the market are made of glass, but Terumo syringes are manufactured from plastic. In comparison to glass, plastic does not break easily, and in addition to this safety factor, plastic also offers the advantage of simple disposal.
2. Prevents mistaken injection of drugs
   Prefilled syringes are labeled with the name of the drug, allowing the contents to be checked while it is being handled. This assists in preventing mistaken injection of drugs, which has recently become a problem, generating a particularly strong demand from medical institutions for such products.
3. Low energy design - can be used approximately 10,000 times
   Designed for low energy consumption, a lithium battery provides approximately 10,000 successive uses. The battery is replaceable.
4. Useful in streamlining hospital operations
   Use of these prefilled syringes reduces the amount of time required for busy medical professionals to mix and inject drugs. Recently there has been a particularly strong focus on streamlining hospital operations, so these products match the future needs of the medical world.
5. Useful in preventing hospital acquired infections
   No contact is made with open air when the drug is formulated, reducing the danger of bacterial infection.

Development

Terumo has the technology both for medical plastics, used in the manufacture of syringes etc., and pharmaceutical technology required for manufacturing parenteral solutions. Terumo can therefore handle every stage from development and manufacture through to replenishing supplies.

As phase one of entry into this market segment, Terumo is releasing syringes prefilled with compound infusion solutions, such as vitamins, electrolytes and dextrose, which are widely used in medical institutions. Terumo is the first company in Japan to sell syringes prefilled with these types of compound infusion solutions.

In the future, in addition to preparations for infusion therapy, a variety of prefilled syringes containing a whole range of preparations will be released at a rate of two to four products each year, with more than 20 items scheduled for release by fiscal 2002. Terumo will also concentrate on supplying syringes to and establishing tie-ups with pharmaceuticals manufacturers. This area has been targeted as a mainstay of new business for the company.

New products

• Vitaject, a general vitamin preparation for use as total parenteral nutrition
  
  1. Patients being nourished by parenteral nutrition alone must invariably be given vitamin supplements. Vitamin preparations are used frequently in medical institutions, and the use of prefilled preparations will improve both handling efficiency and safety.
• Mediject, a range of injections to correct electrolyte imbalances, and dextrose parenteral solutions.
  
  1. When administering total parenteral nutrition, depending on the drugs involved and the patient's condition, there may be a need to supplement electrolytes, or to correct the amount of dextrose, and these solutions are handled frequently in the treatment of patients. The use of prefilled syringes will therefore improve efficiency and safety.
  2. A total of ten products have been released, including seven varieties of electrolyte preparations, and three varieties of dextrose parenteral solutions.