Jan. 29, 2016
Teijin Pharma to Start Rental Service for SLEEPMATE®10 Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Device
Teijin Pharma Limited
Teijin Pharma Limited, the core company of the Teijin Group’s medical and pharmaceutical business, announced today that it would start a rental service via doctors in Japan for its SLEEPMATE®10 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device for people with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). The service will begin on 1 February.
Teijin Pharma is already Japan’s leading rental-based provider of SAS therapeutic devices. By starting SLEEPMATE®10 rental service, Teijin Group looks forward to improving the quality of life for SAS patients.
SLEEPMATE®10 is equipped with two advanced algorithms to reduce the waking of users from sleep when gentle changes in air pressure occur. A built-in heater-humidifier helps to sooth breathing through both the mouth and nose. The unit has wireless 3G capability to enable its operational and treatment status to be monitored by doctors via Teijin’s NemLink system, which connects to mobile phone networks.
National health insurance coverage is available for the SLEEPMATE®10 as follows:
- Insurance points
1,210 points for CPAP treatment and 250 points for CPAP at-home patient management.
- Patient co-pay (exclude re-examination fees, etc.)
10% co-pay: 1,460 JPY/month
20% co-pay: 2,920 JPY/month
30% co-pay: 4,380 JPY/month
SAS is a disorder in which breathing is temporarily suspended during sleep, resulting in sleep deprivation, heavy snoring and daytime drowsiness. Respiratory arrest and attendant hypoxia ultimately have socioeconomic implications in terms of traffic or industrial accidents and decreased productivity. Associated mortality rates can increase in the presence of complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, myocardial or cerebral infarctions.
In Japan, the number of SAS patients has been increasing about 10 percent per year. Currently, about 3 million people, or roughly two to three percent of the Japanese population, are potential SAS patients. The most common treatment is CPAP devices that deliver air via a mask fitted over the nose to prevent apnea or hypopnea. Some patients abandon treatment due to discomfort with the air pressure or mask.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the areas of sustainable transportation, information and electronics, safety and protection, environment and energy, and healthcare. Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers & composites, healthcare, films, resin & plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT. The group has some 150 companies and around 16,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide. It posted consolidated sales of JPY786.2 billion (USD 6.6 billion) and total assets of JPY 823.7 billion (USD 6.9 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. Please visit www.teijin.com.
Press Contact
Corporate Communications
Teijin Limited
+81 3 3506 4055
pr@teijin.co.jp