|
Entacapone, an original drug developed by Orion Pharma, considerably
improves the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. The project
group that developed it was presented with the Chemical Industry
Innovation Award in November 2004.
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological disease.
Its symptoms include coarse rest tremor, slow movement and
muscle stiffness. The number of patients worldwide is some
6.3 million.
This disease, which mainly affects ageing people, leads to
a reduction of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, in the brain.
The Orion Pharma patented innovation, when used with levodopa,
the basic medicine for the disease, considerably improves
the effect of the drug and improves the patient's life.
"Entacapone represents a quite new pharmacological approach
in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and has achieved recognition
quite quickly. Besides being effective, it is also a safe
product," says Esa Heinonen, Vice President, R&D.
From molecule to innovation
Entacapone is a chemical and life science innovation developed
by Orion from a pharmaceutical molecule. It has required the
cooperation of hundreds of specialists in various disciplines
of science and medicine for years, and it still continuing.
The development work has spawned 15 academic dissertations,
more than 900 international scientific publications and more
than one hundred published articles.
"The last stage in the innovation chain was to develop
a medicine combining levodopa and entacapone into one tablet.
The medicine, which is known by the trade name Stalevo, is
already on the market in the EU and USA," Heinonen says.
Entacapone products are the market leader in their own sector
and Orion Pharma's most important product group. Last year
the group's turnover rose to about 100 million euros.
The award winner was chosen by the scientific advisory committee
of the chemical industry. Decisive in the choice were the
unique nature of the project group's innovation, the diversified
and extensive research work in the various areas of pharmaceutical
development and the significant commercial market position
that had been achieved.
|
Chemical industry's innovation award
The chemical industry's innovation award is presented
every year to a person, team or enterprise in recognition
of an innovation in the chemical sector that can be
exploited industrially or has already entered the utilization
stage. The aim is to encourage research-oriented, innovative
activity and promote the productization and commercialization
of innovations and new corporate activity in the chemical
sector. The award is worth 10,000 euros.
|
|
Feedback about this article.
.
Finnfacts is part of