Organon Celebrates Ten Years Of Success With Follistim® Branded Products Stands Out As Leader In Field Of Fertility

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 15 Oct 2007 - 7:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

The year 2007 marks the tenth anniversary of Organon's introduction of Follistim® branded products for fertility treatment in the United States. This milestone highlights Organon's enduring commitment to people seeking to build a family. Over the past 10 years, Follistim® branded products have played an integral role in fertility treatments for couples, resulting in more than 1 million babies worldwide. The anniversary demonstrates Organon's ongoing dedication to patients and healthcare professionals involved in the fertility treatment process.

"Over the past ten years, Organon has made significant advances in the field of fertility through the development of innovative, patient-friendly products that are easy and convenient to use, such as the Follistim® AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta injection) for use only with the Follistim Pen®," stated Mike Dziomba, Vice President, Fertility and Hormone Therapy, Organon USA. "We pride ourselves on our continued ability to serve patients and healthcare professionals throughout the entire fertility journey - from informative resources on reproduction to medications that treat infertility."

Organon has continued to expand the educational resources it offers both to patients seeking information on fertility, and healthcare professionals in need of tools to guide their patients. In 2005, Organon developed FertilityJourney.com, an educational Web site that features engaging, innovative fertility tools for patients in all stages of the fertility treatment process, including:

-- Fertility Source podcast series: features fertility experts discussing timely topics on becoming pregnant and pursuing fertility treatment
-- Clinic Locator: a tool that helps visitors to find a fertility center in their area
-- "Learn. Plan. Act. It's Your Future" Patient Information Kit: a toolkit with fact sheets providing important information on reproduction, age and fertility and understanding IVF
-- Fertility Guidebooks: full-color diagrams, charts, support information and much more
-- Fertility Quiz: a self-assessment tool that provides a quick snapshot of a person's risk for infertility

"As physicians, we look to the fertility industry for continued innovation, and Organon has shown its ongoing commitment to the patient and physician community through advances such as the introduction of the Follistim® AQ Cartridge for use only with the Follistim Pen® in 2004," said Samuel C. Pang, M.D., medical director, Reproductive Science Center of Boston.

In 1981 Howard W. Jones, Jr., MD, performed the first successful in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States. Jones, who founded the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, Virginia, said he has since seen significant developments in the field of fertility.

"While the fundamental theory behind IVF hasn't changed much, the technologies have greatly improved, especially over the past ten years," Dr. Jones said. "New fertility treatments have made the process more precise and easier on the patient, allowing families nationwide to achieve their dream of having a child."

Follistim® AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta injection) for use only with the Follistim Pen® is administered by subcutaneous injection. The Follistim Pen® is an innovative pen device that facilitates accurate delivery of individualized doses of pre-mixed follitropin beta injection. Follistim® AQ Cartridge for use only with the Follistim Pen®, provides women with a discreet, convenient method to self-administer fertility treatment with ease and confidence.

About Organon

Organon - with shared head offices in Roseland, NJ, USA and Oss, The Netherlands - creates, manufactures and markets prescription medicines that improve the health and quality of human life. Through a combination of independent growth and business partnerships, Organon strives to remain or become one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in each of its core therapeutic fields: gynecology, fertility, neuroscience and anesthesia. Organon products are sold in over 100 countries, of which more than 60 have an Organon subsidiary. Organon is the human healthcare business unit of Akzo Nobel.

Follistim® AQ Cartridge: Safety Information

Follistim® AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta injection) for use only with the Follistim Pen® should be used only by physicians who are experienced in infertility treatment. Physicians should advise their patients of treatment risks, including Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and multiple births. Follistim® AQ Cartridge for use only with the Follistim Pen® contains a potent gonadotropic substance capable of causing mild to severe side effects including OHSS, with or without pulmonary or vascular complications. Follistim® AQ Cartridge for use only with the Follistim Pen® delivers on average an 18% higher amount of follitropin beta as compared to lyophilized preparations administered by conventional syringe. Accordingly, a lower starting dose for gonadotropin stimulation and dose adjustments during gonadotropin stimulation should be considered for each woman treated with Follistim® AQ Cartridge for use only with the Follistim Pen®.

http://www.organon.com