Akzo's Organon says anaesthesia drug effective

AMSTERDAM, June 11 (Reuters) - Dutch chemical group Akzo Nobel NV's (AKZO.AS) drug unit Organon said on Monday its suggamadex anesthesia drug demonstrated faster recovery from neuromuscular blockade when compared with the traditionally used drug neostigmine, a Phase III study showed.

The drug, which is still on schedule for registration this year in the U.S., Europe and Japan, showed nine to 12 times faster recovery, according to a pivotal Phase III trial, the company said in a statement.

Suggamadex contains an agent that reverses total muscular block, an important step in helping patients recover quickly and completely from anesthesia without the risk of breathing difficulties.

"In the clinical trials until now sugammadex has generally demonstrated the ability to reverse shallow and profound depths of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade within three minutes," Organon said.

Organon said the global market for the drug is estimated at 400 million euros ($537 million) and could be higher.

"We expect it (the market) to grow when sugammadex will be introduced, as the agent is currently hardly used in Europe," an Organon spokeswoman added, but did not make any forecasts.

Organon is Akzo Nobel's AKZOY.O drug unit, is being sold for $14 billion to American drug giant Schering-Plough SGP.N.

The deal adds five Phase III drugs to the U.S. firm's pipeline portfolio, including its schizophrenia drug asenapine and insomnia drug Org 50081.

((Reporting by Harro ten Wolde; editing by Greg Mahlich; Reuters Messaging: harro.tenwolde.reuters.com@reuters.net; +31 20 504 5017))

($1=.7449 Euro) Keywords: AKZO SUGGAMADEX/

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