Astellas To Rename Succin To Avoid Confusion With Kowa Drug
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Astellas Pharma is renaming its Succin (solefenacin) muscle relaxant to Suxamethonium to avoid a repeat of a fatal mistake by a hospital in Japan last year. It was decided the name of the drug was too similar to Kowa's Saxizon (hydrocortisone), and the cause of the mistake behind the stronger Succin given to the patient. Astellas had resisted renaming its drug, saying warnings and greater care would suffice, but critics said warnings were not enough and that similar mistakes could occur. (Click here for more