Taking the Needle Out of the Injection
Rome, Italy – May 16th, 2002 –
Ferring Launches a New No Needle Device at 2nd Ferring International Paediatric Endocrinology Symposium.
Just the sight of a hypodermic needle during a doctor’s visit can intimidate even the manliest of men.
Not surprisingly, recent data shows that nearly 50 percent of children with growth disorders* who must inject themselves daily are failing to comply with their treatment requirements and are not achieving therapeutic serum levels necessary for the growth hormone to be effective.1
To take the bite out of the injection, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is launching a new no-needle device designed especially for young growth disorder patients. The device will be unveiled at the 2nd Ferring International Paediatric Endocrinology Symposium in Rome.
More than 200 international endocrinologists from around the world will attend the symposia. The scientific conference promises to showcase some of the latest research and development in the field of endocrinology.
The injection device is the Zoma Jet 2 Vision, which through a high pressure stream of air forces the growth hormone through the skin in less than a third of a second with minimal discomfort. It is a third generation of no-needle devices in this disease area, Ferring was a pioneer when it introduced its first system in 1992.
The new device should revolutionise the process of taking growth hormone for young patients who usually start treatment at age 5 and continue until age 12. Studies have shown that a nearly one-third of patients are taking less than 80 percent the prescribed dosage and this is being directly associated with poor growth.2
‘A good majority of our patients are failing to comply with their treatment; patient education and the suitability of mode of treatment are seen as major contributing factors,’ said Prof. Henriette Delemarre van de Wall of the Vrije University Hospital in the Netherlands. ‘Patients want something that is simple to use and relatively painless.’
According to Professor K. Hartmann of the Institute of Paediatric Endocrinology in Frankfurt, Germany a substantial number of children requiring growth hormone therapy have problems with needle injections and would prefer a no-needle approach.
In a 2000 study of his patients, he found that given a choice, more 80 percent of patients aged 5 to 13 years-old preferred a needle free option.
The Vision 2 needle free device from Antares is especially designed for smaller hands with an easy grip handle and simple coloured dials. Ferring provides the device free of charge to all patients taking the company’s growth hormone, ZOMACTON **.
Notes to Editors
* One out of 2,500 to 5,000 children is born with a growth hormone deficiency. At birth the infants’ height and weight is normal, but later the child’s growth is severely impaired, tooth development is delayed, and the child risks a range of complications while growing up. If this lack of hormone is treated early on, the child can gain several extra centimetres, bringing him into the normal range for height. Ferring offers a long-term treatment for these children.
** ZOMACTON is the brand name for Ferring’s recombinant human growth hormone. This product has been developed for growth failure in children, and is also approved in some countries for girls with Turner’s Syndrome.
Disclosure: This document may contain forward-looking information about the Company’s financial results and estimates, business prospects, and products in research that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. ie significant risks and uncertainties in pharmaceutical research and development. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary clinical and manufacturing regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. The company undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements.
About Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ferring is a research driven, speciality biopharmaceutical group active in global markets. The company identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of endocrinology, gastroenterology, gynecology, infertility and urology.
In recent years Ferring has expanded beyond its traditional European base and now has operating subsidiaries in over 40 countries.
To learn more about Ferring or our products
please visit us at www.Ferring.com.
For more information, please contact
Sharmi Albrechtsen
Communication Manager, Ferring International Center
+45 28 78 72 09
sharmi.albrechtsen@ferring.com
References
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- Kirk J Prescriber Supplement 1998; 3-4
- Hunter A et al Arch Dis Child 2000,82 (Suppl 1):A8