Record-breaking Viagra Claims 95% of Market
May 14, 1998 4:25 PM
NEWTOWN, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--May 14,
1998--In its first month on the market, Viagra, Pfizer's
impotence therapy, generated more new prescriptions
than the company's popular calcium channel blocker,
Norvasc, and Parke-Davis' cholesterol reducer, Lipitor,
which Pfizer co-promotes.
Four Pfizer products were among the top 20
brand-name drugs dispensed in April.
According to Scott-Levin's Source Prescription Audit,
570,000 new prescriptions for Viagra were dispensed in
April -- the most prescriptions ever for a drug in the
United States during its first full month of availability.
To put this into perspective, Lipitor, which many labeled
the most successful launch of all time, had only 26,000
new prescriptions in its first month. The Wyeth-Ayerst
obesity medication Redux, another high-profile launch,
had 149,000 new prescriptions during its first month.
In April, Viagra claimed 95% of new prescriptions in the
erectile dysfunction market. Vivus' MUSE captured 4%
of new prescriptions, while Pharmacia & Upjohn's
Caverject had a 1% share of the market. Urologists
wrote 41% of new Viagra prescriptions, while general
and family practitioners accounted for 23%. Internists
(21%), cardiologists (2%) and general surgeons (1%)
rounded out the top five prescriber groups for Viagra.
More than 50% of Viagra prescriptions were paid for in
cash, with the remainder reimbursed by third-party
organizations. This is not surprising; managed care plans
have adopted stringent guidelines for Viagra
reimbursement. The product costs patients
approximately $9.25 per day. Many insurers will only
reimburse for Viagra if patients have a written statement
from their physician indicating that they suffer from
erectile dysfunction.
Top 20 Brand-Name Pharmaceuticals Dispensed in
April 1998
Brand Company New Prescriptions
1) Zithromax/Z-Pak Pfizer 1,610,000
2) Augmentin SmithKline Beecham 1,250,000
3) Claritin Schering-Plough 1,166,000
4) Premarin Tabs Wyeth-Ayerst 1,031,000
5) Synthroid Knoll 933,000
6) Biaxin/Susp. Abbott 930,000
7) Cipro Bayer 909,000
8) Prozac Eli Lilly 873,000
9) Prilosec Astra Merck 848,000
10) Zoloft Pfizer 710,000
11) Paxil SmithKline Beecham 682,000
12) Amoxil SmithKline Beecham 592,000
13) Viagra Pfizer 570,000
14) Norvasc Pfizer 565,000
15) Lipitor Parke-Davis 562,000
16) Cefzil Bristol-Myers Squibb 534,000
17) Lanoxin Glaxo Wellcome 522,000
18) Ultram Ortho-McNeil 516,000
19) Ambien Searle 495,000
20) Claritin-D 12 Hr. Schering-Plough 471,000
Scott-Levin, a division of PMSI/Scott-Levin Inc.,
provides health care consulting, research and
communications services to pharmaceutical companies
worldwide.
CONTACT: Scott-Levin, Newtown
Jim Charnetski, 215/860-0440
email@scottlevin.com
www.scottlevin.com
16:10 EDT MAY 14, 1998
BW0260 MAY 14,1998 13:09 PACIFIC 16:09
EASTERN
|
