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Eisai Inc. and the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF)* Introduce the DVTeamCare(TM) Hospital Award and Call for Nominations

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 December 2008, 08:09 CST

Award Recognizes Critical Need for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Prophylaxis in Hospitals

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Inc., in coordination with the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF), introduced today the DVTeamCare Hospital Award. This new award provides national recognition to hospitals that have made a significant commitment to preventing DVT and its potentially fatal complications.

With today's announcement, Eisai and the NATF will call on hospitals across the country to share their strategy for preventing DVT and nominate their hospital for the DVTeamCare Hospital Award. This award is an extension of Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission, which regards patients and their families as the most important participants in the health care process.

"Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans develop DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE), underscoring the need for preventive measures to be taken within our nation's hospitals," said Cynthia Schwalm, President, Eisai Inc. "As the Acting Surgeon General's Call to Action on Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) gets underway, we are pleased to be working with the NATF to introduce the DVTeamCare Hospital Award. This Award will recognize hospitals that have dedicated resources to reduce the incidence of DVT."

In addition to being recognized nationally, the winning hospital's protocol and implementation plan will be made available at www.dvteamcareaward.com as a resource to help other hospitals enhance their efforts to prevent DVT.

"Fatal Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) may be the most common preventable cause of hospital death in the United States. Yet, only one-third of hospitalized patients with risk factors for venous blood clots receive preventive measures," said John Fanikos, a member of the NATF's board of directors. "The timing of this award is ideal as it coincides with increased emphasis by the medical insurance industry for hospitals to take measures in VTE prevention. The DVTeamCare Hospital Award increases awareness among medical professionals of the steps that they can take to reduce the prevalence of VTE during and post hospitalization. It recognizes excellence in practice in what is an under-recognized disease."

How to Nominate a Hospital

Any hospital staff member may submit a nomination for the hospital through October 16, 2009. A nomination ballot is available online at www.DVTeamCareAward.com and from Eisai Sales Representatives or NATF professionals.

The winning hospital will be selected from the nominee pool by a panel of three judges. One judge is a pharmacist and a director of the NATF. The second judge is a professor of medicine and director of a program in hemostasis and thrombosis who also conducts clinical and basic research in the areas of thrombosis, hemostasis and vascular biology. The third judge is an internationally known cardiologist and professor of medicine whose clinical and research interests include acute myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, pulmonary embolism and congenital heart disease in adults.

About Eisai Inc.

Eisai Inc. is a U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: neurology, gastrointestinal disorders and oncology/critical care. Established in 1995 and ranked among the top-20 U.S. pharmaceutical companies (based on retail sales), Eisai Inc. began marketing its first product in the United States in 1997 and has rapidly grown to become an integrated pharmaceutical business with fiscal year 2007 (year ended March 31, 2008) sales of approximately $3 billion, including the results of the acquisition of MGI PHARMA, INC.

Eisai Inc. employs approximately 1,900 people at its headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, at its state-of-the-art pharmaceutical production and formulation research and development facility in Research Triangle Park, NC, and in the field. For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com.

About the North American Thrombosis Forum

The NATF is a nonprofit organization that focuses on unmet needs and issues related to thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and stroke. The five areas of major focus are: 1) basic translational research, 2) clinical research, especially diagnosis and therapy, 3) prevention and education, 4) public policy, and 5) advocacy. NATF's legacy will be to improve patient care, outcomes, and public health by supporting thrombosis-related programs, such as novel research projects, innovative educational programs, public policy initiatives, regulatory issues and advocacy, and to broaden training opportunities for physicians, scientists, and other health professionals.

*NATF has been engaged to independently develop the criteria for the award and judge the award, and does not endorse or promote any product or service offered by Eisai Inc. or any award nominee or recipient.

SOURCE Eisai Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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