Headline: (UPDATE) Shares Of Some Impotence-Drug Makers Slide On Comparison With
Viagra
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NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Shares of several makers of impotence drugs
were under pressure Wednesday after a story in The Wall Street Journal
reported that patients' first choice will likely be Pfizer Inc.'s
blockbuster Viagra, despite the success of other drugs.
The article mentioned Zonagen Inc., MacroChem Corp. and Vivus Inc.,
which all have clinical trial results on their products being presented
this week at the American Urological Association meeting in San Diego.
Researchers said that none of the other drugs has been directly
compared with Viagra. However, they all have more side effects or are
more difficult to use than Viagra, the article said.
"The stocks are definitely reacting to the Journal article and not
the clinical results," said Edmund Debler, an analyst at Mehta Partners.
At the Urological Association meeting Tuesday, researchers presented
data that indicated Zonagen's oral drug Vasomax was well tolerated in
Phase III, or late-stage, trials.
Researchers also said Tuesday that data from a new study confirms the
safety and efficacy of MacroChem's Topiglan gel for treatment of
erectile dysfunction.
Data was presented Tuesday that indicated Vivus's Muse treatment,
which is inserted directly into the urethra, was less effective than had
been believed.
In afternoon trading, shares of Vivus (VVUS) were down $1.563, or
18%, at $7.188. MacroChem (MCHM) shares slipped 43.8 cents, or 3.9%, to
$10.938, and shares of Zonagen (ZONA) declined $4.688, or 13%, to
$32.063.
TAP Holdings Inc. was also mentioned in the article. The company, a
joint venture of Abbott Laboratories and Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd.
of Japan, is developing apomorphine, which acts directly on the brain to
create erections. However, shares of Abbott Labs (ABT) were up 12.5
cents at $36.688.
-By Jennifer Fron Mauer; 201-938-5287;
jennifer-fron.mauer@cor.dowjones.com
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