Dexlansoprazole Gets New Brand Name

Cheryl A. Thompson

BETHESDA, MD 04 March 2010—Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. and FDA announced today that dexlansoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, will soon be marketed under the brand name Dexilant to prevent more dispensing errors.

Dexlansoprazole's original brand name of Kapidex apparently sounds or looks like Casodex and Kadian. Takeda said it has received reports of dispensing errors involving those products.

Takeda's product is the newest of the three. According to the so-called summary review of the company's new drug application, FDA's trade-name review team had found Kapidex to be an acceptable product name.

The new product became available to pharmacies in late February 2009.

By August, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices was alerting pharmacists to dispensing errors involving Kapidex and Casodex.

Casodex is AstraZeneca's bicalutamide product, an androgen-receptor inhibitor.

Kadian is an extended-release morphine sulfate product by Alpharma Branded Products Division Inc.

Takeda said its dexlansoprazole delayed-release capsules will look the same as always. The National Drug Code, however, will change.

The company said it expects Dexilant to be available toward the end of April.