Partnership includes "peanut-free" games with in-park messaging.

AUVI-Q (epinephrine injection, USP), a past Medical Design Excellence Award winner, has just been named the "Official Epinephrine Auto-Injector (EAI) of Minor League Baseball." The distinction is the result of a multi-year agreement between AUVI-Q's manufacturer, kaléo, and Minor League Baseball (MiLB). AUVI-Q is an FDA-approved prescription medicine for treating life-threatening allergic reactions, including that associated with sensitivity to peanuts, and several MiLB teams will host "Peanut-Free Game Days" this season and next.

"With peanut allergies on the rise, AUVI-Q will support our overarching commitment to our fans," stated David Wright, MiLB's Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, in a news release. "We hope that all families, regardless of existing allergies, can experience a Minor League Baseball game to its fullest during designated peanut-free nights."

Two peanut-free games took place on August 6, one at Smith's Ballpark, home of the Salt Lake Bees and another at First Data Field, home of the St. Lucie Mets, a spokesperson told Qmed. The full schedule can be found here: 

The games throughout the partnership will include informational displays and in-park messaging, the spokesperson shared with Qmed.

"We're proud to support MiLB to help provide a safer environment for those who suffer from severe peanut allergies to enjoy one of our nation's favorite pastimes," stated Dr. Eric Edwards, a life-threatening allergy sufferer and co-inventor of AUVI-Q, in the release. "AUVI-Q is committed to providing information and resources to help educate the public about life-threatening allergies and encourage a community of inclusion and acceptance."

AUVI-Q features an auto-retractable needle and a voice instruction system. In 2014, AUVI-Q won a Bronze Medical Design Excellence Award in the Drug-Delivery Devices and Combination Products category. In 2016, Sanofi announced that a license and development agreement between Sanofi and kaléo would terminate later that year. 

When asked how the product has changed since 2014, the spokesperson told Qmed that "after regaining control of AUVI-Q in February 2016 and resuming responsibility for manufacturing, kaléo implemented our proven manufacturing and quality processes. Kaléo created an intelligent, high-tech, 100% automated robotic production line with over 100 automated quality checks on each AUVI-Q device, to help ensure a streamlined and consistent production process. Kaléo uses specially calibrated sensors and vision inspection systems to ensure each component is assembled into AUVI-Q with precision. Every component built into each AUVI-Q has an identifier and is tracked throughout the manufacturing process. We are committed to the highest quality manufacturing processes and systems and want to make sure that our product works every time."

To learn more about AUVI-Q, please visit www.auvi-q.com.  

For more information, visit www.kaleopharma.com or www.MiLB.com.

Don't miss these sessions and more at the upcoming MD&M Minneapolis Conference and Expo, November 8-9, 2017:

Daphne Allen is executive editor of Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News and a contributor to MD&DI and Qmed. Reach her at [email protected] and on Twitter at @daphneallen 

[Image credit: kaléo]