AllerQuest is delighted to announce that Pre-Pen® was approved for marketing by the FDA on September 18, 2009, and that we have entered into a partnership with ALK-Abelló who will market Pre-Pen® in the United States, and eventually world-wide.
A joint press release for the two companies was issued on September 30, 2009 and is reproduced below. It contains web-links to additional information about Pre-Pen® availability. We are grateful to the many supporters of this development project, and pledge our ongoing diligence in producing a quality-assured and dependable skin testing product.
AllerQuest, LLC
PRE-PEN Announcement
ALK-Abelló and AllerQuest, LLC are pleased to announce the return of PRE-PEN® to the market.
Under the terms of the agreement, ALK will be the exclusive distributor of PRE-PEN®. PRE-PEN®
received full FDA approval on September 18, 2009.
ALK-Abelló, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement with AllerQuest, LLC to market and distribute
PRE-PEN® penicillin skin testing products. AllerQuest will manufacture the product in their FDA
approved production facility in Plainville, Connecticut.
PRE-PEN® was a widely used skin test product for over 30 years. In 2004, PRE-PEN® was
withdrawn from the marketplace due to the lack of a dedicated penicillin manufacturing facility from
the previous supplier. The loss of this product severely limited a physician's ability to test for penicillin
sensitivity. In 2005, AllerQuest was formed to resurrect production of PRE-PEN® so that allergy
specialists and hospitals could again have a skin test for penicillin sensitivity.
Jose A. Moreno Toscano, President of ALK-Abelló, Inc., stated, "ALK is excited to be the exclusive
provider of PRE-PEN®. Our focus continues to be in providing allergy specialists with unique
products such as PRE-PEN®, and value added services to assist with fighting the cause of allergy
and driving more patients to the specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease."
Dr. Louis Mendelson, President of AllerQuest, LLC stated, "over 30 million Americans are suspected
to be allergic to penicillin, but extensive studies have demonstrated that most of these people may be
able to be treated safely with penicillin and related antibiotics. In past years, in the absence of a
penicillin test, allergy specialists were unable to test patients for penicillin sensitivity. AllerQuest has
invested significant time and resources to bring this important product back into the US market, and
we are pleased to bring this product to market with a company like ALK, which possesses strengths
in marketing and world-wide distribution critical to the successful re-launching of PRE-PEN®."
Additional information can be found at www.pre-pen.com.
Contact Information:
Kristina Smith
ALK-Abelló Inc.
512-251-0037
Kristina.smith@alk-abello.com
About ALK
ALK is a research driven global pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy
treatment, prevention and diagnosis. ALK is the world leader in allergy vaccination (immunotherapy)—a treatment that
induces a protective immune response which reduces and potentially halts the allergic reaction.
Further information is available at www.alk-abello.us.
About AllerQuest, LLC
AllerQuest's mission is to develop skin test reagents to safely and accurately identify patients who are
at risk for potentially life-threatening reactions to penicillin antibiotics. The company strives to ensure
a reliable source of high quality test reagents to assist physicians in the diagnosis of penicillin allergy.
Further information is available at www.allerquest.com.
