Letters to Solvay Duphar BV

Dated: 3 October 1996

Dear Sir,

I am writing to inquire about a tablet that your company supplied to both the UK and US governments, the drug in question is pyridostigmine bromide (mestinon), 30 mg. It is used as a nerve agent pre-treatment set (NAPS). I believe it was supplied under UK license number 4537/0003.

I have data sheets for 60mg mestinon, however, I cannot find a data sheet that covers the 30mg tablets. Because there is no mention of the 30mg tablet on the 60mg tablet data sheet, I wonder if they are of the same chemical composition as the 60mg version.

Would it be possible for you to send me a datasheet for the 30mg tablets and clarify whether the chemical composition is the same for both sizes of tablet. If there are differences, perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know what these differences are.

The reply arrived, dated 27 October 1994, the text is as follows:

With reference to your letter dated 21 October 1994 (see enclosure), I inform you that the drug pyridostigmine bromide (mestinon) is a product of the company Roche and not Solvay Duphar B.V.

Yours sincerely

Marianne Stoker

International Marketing

Solvay Duphar state that they have nothing to do with NAPS, this is very interesting considering the following is printed on the wrapper of NAPS:

Duphar BV, Amsterdam Holland, For MOD (PE) Batch No 039795 D.O.M. 03/89

Addr: Solvay Duphar B.V., P O Box 900, 1380 D A Weesp, C J Van Houtenlaan 36, 1381 C P Weesp, The Netherlands. Tel: (0)2940-77000