Monsanto Celebrex Prescribed Heavily in First Week, NDC Says
Monsanto Celebrex Prescribed Heavily in First Week, NDC Says
St. Louis, Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Monsanto Co.'s new arthritis drug Celebrex could have one of the most successful introductions ever in the history of the U.S. drug industry, according to NDC Health Information Services.
Celebrex, the first of a new class of painkillers that appear to have fewer side effects than existing drugs, had 1,047 prescriptions on Jan. 19, its first official day on the market, NDC said. Three days later, Celebrex had 3,411 prescriptions.
Those numbers make Celebrex a rival to Warner-Lambert Co.'s cholesterol-reducing drug Lipitor. Lipitor's 1997 introduction set a record with 1,058 prescriptions the first day and 1,084 three week days later, NDC said. Lipitor's record was broken this year by Pfizer Inc.'s anti-impotence pill Viagra. ''The numbers are incredibly strong,'' said Hemant Shah, an independent analyst.
Pfizer, considered one of the world's best marketers for pharmaceuticals, helps Warner-Lambert sell Lipitor and Monsanto sell Celebrex.
Shares of St. Louis-based Monsanto rose 1/8 to 41 3/16 in early afternoon trading.
Merck & Co., the world's biggest drugmaker, is seeking U.S. approval of its Vioxx drug, which would compete with Celebrex. |
