Replies to post #3876 on Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MNTA)

[sodrock]

I understand that a vial holds multiple doses. What I don't understand is why develop a generic and only apply for the vial?

Seems to me it could be more than 1% of the market, since, technically a hospital could switch to vials, however, they never would..

So I ask why apply for vials only? Why not throw the drug in a syringe and call it a day? Manufacturing or what?

Forget it.. I'm going to bed..

[EyeamBill]

Enoxaparin Vials

While it's true that enoxaparin syringes sometimes contain more than the necessary dose they are not multi-dose vials as they contain no preservative. Thus, if you have a 75mg dose using a graduated 80mg syringe you waste 5mg. Because as a hospital you bill for what you use and eat the rest it makes sense for some large institutions to draw up multiple doses out of the vial that contains the preservative. It sometimes costs smaller institutions more in labor to draw them up so it makes more sense for them to buy the syringes.

Enoxaparin is one of those strange birds like Procrit that costs the same amount per mg or unit. So, an 80mg syringe costs the hospital exactly twice of what the 40mg dose. Thus, if you can use all the milligrams that you've purchased and wasted none then you've maximized your purchasing efficiency.

What's more, using the 75mg dose and 80mg syringe mentioned above, enoxaparin contains an air bubble in the syringe hub so that there is no bruising. So, nursing does not expel the 5mg and then inject the 75mg dose; they inject 75mg of the 80mg and leave 5mg in the single-dose syringe (with needle permanently affixed) before disposing of it. Therefore, not only is there no preservative in it (rendering it unfit to give the remaining 5mg to the same patient), but, using the 5mg remainder to a different patient would be tantamount to needle-sharing.

Incidentally, the 30mg and 40mg syringes are not graduated and cannot be administered in fractional doses.

Bill