Diclegis® for Morning Sickness Now Available Through Aetna's National Coverage Policy

ROSEMONT, Pa., March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Duchesnay USA today announced that Diclegis^® (doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride) for the treatment of Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP) is now available with no restrictions through Aetna's national insurance coverage policy.¹ With this decision, Diclegis is eligible for tier-three coverage without restriction among most members in the Aetna network, one of the nation's leading healthcare insurance providers serving an estimated 15 million pharmacy members.

Diclegis is the only FDA-approved medicine for NVP and is safe and effective. The FDA granted Diclegis Pregnancy Category A status, the best rating available.^1,2

"Duchesnay USA continues to focus its efforts on making Diclegis affordable, accessible and broadly available. With Aetna coverage, we can help ensure that all women have access to this safe and effective therapy," said Dean Hopkins, General Manager of Duchesnay USA.

With the addition of this coverage by Aetna, Diclegis improves its unrestricted access significantly. Diclegis is unrestricted by the majority of health plans across the United States and is available to more than 70% of women with commercial coverage. This news also follows recently improved coverage by Independent Health and complements preferred status in some of the influential State Medicaid programs, like California, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas.

For more information about Diclegis, visit www.Diclegis.com. For more information about Aetna prescription drug benefits, visit: www.aetna.com.

Important Safety Information for Diclegis

Indication 
Diclegis^® is indicated for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management.

Limitations of Use
Diclegis has not been studied in women with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Important Safety Information
Do not take Diclegis if you are allergic to doxylamine succinate, other ethanolamine derivative antihistamines, pyridoxine hydrochloride, or any of the ingredients in Diclegis. You should also not take Diclegis in combination with medicines called monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, as these medicines can intensify and prolong the adverse CNS effects of Diclegis. Use of MAOs may also prolong and intensify the anticholinergic (drying) effects of antihistamines.

The most common side effect of Diclegis is drowsiness. You should avoid engaging in activities requiring complete mental alertness, such as driving or operating heavy machinery, while using Diclegis until cleared to do so by your healthcare provider.

Do not take Diclegis with alcohol or sedating medicines, including other antihistamines (present in some cough and cold medications), opiates, or sleep aids, because severe drowsiness can happen or become worse, causing falls or accidents.

Diclegis should be used with caution in women who have: (1) asthma, (2) increased pressure in the eye, (3) an eye problem called narrow angle glaucoma, (4) a stomach problem called stenosing peptic ulcer, (5) pyloroduodenal obstruction, or (6) a bladder problem called bladder-neck obstruction.

Fatalities have been reported from doxylamine overdose in children. Children appear to be at a high risk for cardiorespiratory arrest. However, the safety and effectiveness of Diclegis in children younger than 18 years have not been established.

Diclegis is a delayed-release formulation; therefore, signs and symptoms of intoxication may not be apparent immediately. Signs and symptoms of overdose may include restlessness, dryness of mouth, dilated pupils, sleepiness, vertigo, mental confusion, and tachycardia. If you suspect an overdose or seek additional overdose information, you can contact a poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

The FDA granted Diclegis Pregnancy Category A status, which means that the results of controlled studies have not shown an increased risk to an unborn baby during pregnancy.

Women should not breast-feed while using Diclegis because the antihistamine component (doxylamine succinate) in Diclegis can pass into breast milk. Excitement, irritability, and sedation have been reported in nursing infants presumably exposed to doxylamine succinate through breast milk. Infants with apnea or other respiratory syndromes may be particularly vulnerable to the sedative effects of Diclegis resulting in worsening of their apnea or respiratory conditions.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

For full prescribing information, please visit www.diclegis.com.

About Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP)
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), or morning sickness, affects 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women.^3,4,5,6 NVP can present differently for each woman, the symptoms include: nausea, gagging, retching, dry heaving, vomiting, and odor and/or food aversion.⁷ For most pregnant women, symptoms generally cease at approximately 16 to 20 weeks.⁶ However, some women can experience symptoms throughout their pregnancy.⁸

About Diclegis
Diclegis (doxylamine succinate 10 mg, pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 mg) delayed-release tablets is the only FDA-approved prescription treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) in women who do not respond to conservative management.¹ Diclegis has proven to be a safe and effective treatment option for NVP and received a Pregnancy Category A status, which means the results of controlled studies have not shown an increased risk to an unborn baby.^1,2 

About Duchesnay USA
Duchesnay USA is a unique healthcare company devoted to safeguarding the health and well-being of expectant mothers and their unborn babies. Its affiliate company, Duchesnay Inc., was founded in 1970 in Canada. The family-owned company realigned its business in 1992 to focus specifically on pregnant women after a family member experienced a very difficult pregnancy. Duchesnay's mission is to develop pharmacological solutions to reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP). Duchesnay USA was established in Rosemont, Pennsylvania in 2011 to pursue that same mission. Realizing a lack of sufficient information on medications for use in pregnancy, Duchesnay strives today to ensure that expectant women who require pharmacological treatments have access to proper medical advice and therapies that are safe for them and their unborn babies. For more information on Duchesnay USA, please visit www.DuchesnayUSA.com.

Contact
Laney Cohen
Makovsky
[email protected]
212-508-9643

¹ Diclegis Prescribing Information. Duchesnay USA. 2013.
² Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. Content and format of labeling for human prescription drug and biological products; requirements for pregnancy and lactation labeling. Federal Register. 2008; 73 (104):30831-68.
³ Jewell, D, Young, G. Interventions for Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy. The Cochrane Library. 2002; 1.
⁴ Medalie, J. Relationship between Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy and/or Abortion. The Lancet. 1957; 117-119.
⁵ Whitehead, SA, Andrews, LR, Chamberlain, VP. Characterisation of Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy: A Survey of 1000 Women. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1992; 12: 384-369.
⁶ Gadsby, R, Barnie-Adshead, A, Jagger, C. A Prospective Study of Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy. British Journal of General Practice. 1993; 43: 245-248.
⁷ Clark S, Costantine M, Hankins GDV. Review of NVP and HG and early pharmacotherapeutic Intervention. Obstetrics and Gynecology International Volume. 2012. 
⁸ Jarnfelt-Samsioe, A, Samsio, G, Velinder, G. Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy – A Contribution to Its Epidemiology.  Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation. 1983; 16: 221-229.

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