Important Drug Warning

---

October 15, 2004:

Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc. sent an important drug warning to all physicians in the U.S. noting the potential name confusion between the drug Reminyl® (galantamine hydrobromide), a drug used for treatment of mild to moderate dementia, and Amaryl® (glimepiride), a medication used for treating non-insulin-dependent (Type 2) diabetes mellitus. There have been reports in which Reminyl® was prescribed but Amaryl® was dispensed and taken by patients, leading to various adverse effects including severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and one death.

Reasons for this include prescriptions that have been incorrectly written, interpreted, labeled, and/or filled due to the similarity in names between REMINYL® and AMARYL®. This means that errors have been made both by physicians and pharmacists. These products have overlapping dosages (4 mg) and both come in tablet forms.

REMINYL® is produced/ distributed by Janssen Pharmaceutica Products and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical research & Development while AMARYL® is a product of Adventis Pharmaceuticals Inc.

We at Doctor sCorner stress the importance of patients (or their care givers) being aware of ALL medications they take and the reason they take them. This may require a bit of extra work and require a patient to ask that their doctor explain in simple terms what each medication is for. Although medication errors such as those described above should not happen such errors still DO happen.

---

Doctors Corner INternet Group, Inc. 1997-2004