Eastman Kodak Company's dental business is discontinuing production of Cook-Waite Carbocaine HCl 2% with Neo-Cobefrin 1:20,000 (mepivacaine hydrochloride and levonordefrin injection, USP) because a key constituent of the local anesthetic is no longer available.
In conjunction with the announcement, Kodak is recommending that dentists who have used Carbocaine 2% switch to one of Kodak's other premium medium-duration injectable local anesthetics: Cook-Waite Lidocaine HCl 2% and Epinephrine 1:100,000 injection (lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine injection, USP) Cook-Waite Lidocaine HCl 2% and Epinephrine 1:50,000 injection (lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine injection, USP) or Cook-Waite Carbocaine 3% injection without vasoconstrictor (mepivacaine hydrochloride injection, USP).
Kodak is discontinuing Carbocaine 2% because it can no longer obtain levonordefrin, a key constituent of the local anesthetic.
"We rely on a number of suppliers to provide the ingredients used to manufacture our line of injectable local anesthetics," said James Flood, anesthetics product line manager, Kodak's dental business. "When the sole supplier of levonordefrin decided to discontinue its production, it had an unavoidable impact on our production capabilities."
In addition, Eastman Kodak Company's dental business announced new promotions today on its Cook-Waite Lidocaine HCl 2% and Epinephrine 1:100,000 injection (lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine injection, USP), Cook-Waite Lidocaine HCl 2% and Epinephrine 1:50,000 injection (lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine injection, USP) and Cook-Waite Carbocaine 3% injection without vasoconstrictor (mepivacaine hydrochloride injection, USP) injectable local anesthetics.
Under the terms of the promotion, dentists who purchase nine cans of Cook-Waite Lidocaine 2% or Cook-Waite Carbocaine 3% local anesthetic will receive a tenth can free.
Dentists can purchase Cook-Waite Lidocaine 2% or Carbocaine 3% from leading dental products dealers. For more information, dentists can call 800-933-8031 or visit Kodak's dental business website at www.kodak.com/go/dental.
Kodak expects the inability to obtain levonordefrin will require other manufacturers of mepivacaine hydrochloride and levonordefrin to also discontinue production as well.
Alternatives to Carbocaine 2%
Kodak's premium Cook-Waite Lidocaine 2% injectable local anesthetic offers properties that are very comparable to those of Carbocaine 2%. Both have strengths of 2% and provide 60-90 minutes of anesthesia. For this reason, Kodak is encouraging its customers to choose Cook-Waite Lidocaine 2% as their medium-duration injectable local anesthetic.
Cook-Waite Carbocaine 3% injectable local anesthetic, while a shorter-duration anesthetic, may also be suitable for dentists who need an alternative to Carbocaine 2%.
"Dentists trust the Cook-Waite brand name. They know our history of manufacturing products to the highest possible quality standards," noted David C. Allen, general manager, United States and Canada, Kodak's dental business. "We're pleased that our top-of-the-line Lidocaine 2% or Carbocaine 3% products offer dentists a way to minimize the disruption caused by the discontinuance of Carbocaine 2%."
Allen also noted that switching to Lidocaine 2% will allow dentists to reduce their anesthetic costs.
Dentists can purchase Cook-Waite Lidocaine 2% or Carbocaine 3% from leading dental products dealers. For more information, dentists can call 800-933-8031 or visit Kodak's dental business website at www.kodak.com/go/dental.
