Based on this approval in the United Kingdom, Orphan Medical's marketing partner, Cambridge Laboratories, will pursue regulatory approval for Antizol in other countries of the European Union under the mutual recognition process. Antizol is the first approved drug in the U.S. and the U.K. indicated as an antidote for ethylene glycol poisoning, or to treat suspected ethylene glycol ingestions.
Ethylene glycol is the main component of antifreeze and coolants.
The ingestion of ethylene glycol is a medical emergency that is characterized by a syndrome that can include central nervous system depression, severe metabolic acidosis, renal failure, and coma. Cambridge Laboratories has the rights to market and distribute Antizol in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Austria. Swedish Orphan AB has the rights to market and distribute Antizol on a named-patient basis in the Nordic Territory, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. A privately-owned company founded in 1988, Swedish Orphan AB is the initiator and partner in a global network of orphan pharmaceutical companies in four continents and received the 1998 International Humanitarian Award from the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Orphan Medical, Inc. is dedicated to patients with inadequately treated or uncommon diseases.