October 26, 2006
Local (JPN)

For Immediate Release

Company name: DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED
Representative: Takashi Shoda, President and Representative Director
(Code no.: 4568, First Section, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Stock Exchanges)
Please address inquiries to Toshio Takahashi, Corporate Officer in Charge,
Corporate Communications Department
Telephone: +81-3-6225-1126
http://www.daiichisankyo.co.jp/

Ultrasound Contrast Medium Sonazoid ® Gets Import Approval

Tokyo, October 26, 2006 - DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED has announced today that Japan's Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare granted wholly owned subsidiary Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. approval for the ultrasound contrast medium Sonazoid® for Injection, a worldwide first.
      Sonazoid®, which has been developed in close collaboration with GE Healthcare, the licensor, is a minimally invasive contrast medium characterized by prolonged ability to maintain its contrasting attributes, it promises to contribute to improving differential and presence diagnosis in diagnosing lesions associated with hepatic tumors as well as assessing the effectiveness of local treatment and post-treatment follow-ups in liver cancer patients.

 

About Sonazoid® for Injection
Date of approval: October 20, 2006
Brand name: Sonazoid® for Injection
Generic name: Perflubutane
Indications: Imaging of lesions associated with hepatic tumors via ultrasound
Directions & dosage:  Suspend 16µL (1 vial) of perflubutane microbubbles in the included 2mL injection solvent and administer the suspension intravenously. Usual dosage for an adult is 0.015mL/kg body weight in a single administration.
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