David,
The marketing's begun, and the following will help explain why it's taken so long to get going.
Here's a recent Canadian NewsWire article on ulcers:
ULCERS CAUSED BY BACTERIA, NOT STRESS, ACID OR FOOD New Guidelines Could Save Millions To Healthcare System
ww2.newswire.ca
Some statements in the article and in particular the word REVOLUTIONIZING are key to understanding the impact H.pylori will soon have Quidel's sales:
"treatment . . . . is revolutionizing the way doctors treat ulcers"
"Eradication of the bacteria will cure ulcers," said Bailey. Canadians have to recondition their thinking that controlling acid production brought on by stresses is the key to getting rid of their ulcers, said experts."
"In fact, H. pylori is the world's most common bacterial infection, affecting one in three Canadians, and most are unaware they harbour it,'' said Lebrun."
H.pylori's been known for years to be the cause of ulcers, yet the word's just recently been getting out to the public and doctors. Recent drug approvals for treating H.pylori in the U.S. frees drug companies to "educate" doctors about H.pylori. Doctors get most of their information from drug reps who couldn't promote their drugs till the FDA approved them specifically for eradicating H.pylori. FDA approval of Glaxo Wellcome's Tritec and Astra Merck's Prilosec just occurred last year and P&G's Helidac didn't receive approval until last August. P&G's and Quidel's co-promotion campaign just began last month. With the recent P&G/Quidel campaign kickoff, last year's drug approvals, and more news releases, we're going to see an explosion in public awareness about H.pylori. Quidel's CLIA waved (as of October 1996) H.pylori test sales will soon take off - along with its earnings - and stock price.
Mike |
