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Biotech / Medical : PFE (Pfizer) How high will it go? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (8171)	8/3/1999 8:50:00 AM
From: manny t	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Celebrex has surpassed Viagra as the top selling new drug ever. From Market Watch via eSignal Online. Manny T.

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (8171)	8/30/1999 8:51:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 9523

Viagra said safe in some heart patients Updated 9:49 AM ET August 29, 1999 By ED SUSMAN BARCELONA, Spain, Aug. 29 (UPI) Although implicated in numerous sudden deaths, researchers say the anti-impotence drug Viagra is safe for people with high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease. In a presentation at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona, scientists for Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra, said the incidence of lower than normal blood pressure, dizziness and loss of consciousness was similar for people taking the drug and those taking placebo pills. More than 12 million prescriptions or 82 million Viagra pills have been issued since the drug was introduced in April 1998. Dr. Ian Osterloh, director of sexual health, Pfizer Limited, England, said Viagra was used by more than 700 patients undergoing various treatment for high blood pressure and there was no difference between the drug and placebo for these patients. More than 300 patients were taking placebo. "However," Osterloh said, "Viagra is absolutely contra-indicated when co-administered with nitrates (such as nitroglycerine) with Viagra." The combination can produce dangerous even fatal low blood pressure, he said. But Osterloh said there did not seem to be any problem with combining Viagra and anti-hypertensive medicine or even multiple regimens of anti- hypertensive medications. "In this study of over 1,000 patients, the incidence of adverse events in Viagra-treated patients taking anti-hypertensive agents was similar to the incidence of adverse events in Viagra-treated patients not receiving anti-hypertensive medications,"Osterloh said. He also said that other common side effects headache, stomach upset and abnormal vision were also similar between the patients on highblood pressure drugs and those who weren't using the drugs. Dr. Eva Swahn, professor of cardiology at University Hospital, Linkopking, Sweden, said Viagra should not be used in patients who have heart conditions caused by ischemia poor blood flow to the heart. Patients with this condition are usually prescribed nitroglycerine or similar compounds for chest pain, she said. "But there are still a large number of cardiac patients who could benefitfrom Viagra," Swahn said, including those with valvular heart disease, patients with high blood pressure and some other heart conditions. Although reports of deaths following Viagra use were frequent, analysis ofthe data found that the numbers of deaths which exceeded 100 last year were not out of line with the normal death rate for people of the same age and medical history.

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (8171)	8/30/1999 8:54:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Monsanto's Celebrex Gets Quick Review for Cancer Use (Update2) Bloomberg News August 30, 1999, 4:16 p.m. ET Monsanto's Celebrex Gets Quick Review for Cancer Use (Update2) (Adds closing share information.) Chicago, Aug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Monsanto Co. said its application to market its hot-selling pain drug Celebrex as a treatment for pre-cancerous colorectal polyps would receive an expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Celebrex, which is co-marketed by Pfizer Inc., is already expected to become a $1 billion-a-year blockbuster treatment for arthritis. The drug, which acts on a chemical known as Cox-2, is popular because it is thought to be less likely to cause ulcers than traditional painkillers. The group of people at risk for colorectal cancer is a small market, said James Flynn, an analyst at ING Baring Furman Selz, though adding new uses for the drug is likely to speed its acceptance for use in arthritis. ''The broader the indications, the more useful they will seem and the less people will worry about cost,'' said Flynn. ''In practical terms, it won't have a very big impact.'' The new use stemmed from a trial conducted with the National Cancer Institute on a rare hereditary disease, familiar adenomatous polyposis, in which patients develop hundreds of colorectal polyps. Most people with the condition develop cancer by age 50. The FDA's so-called priority review means the agency will try to evaluate the drug's safety and effectiveness in six months. Other Uses ''This further illustrates our commitment and efforts to lead and advance new therapeutic possibilities for COX-2 technology,'' said Philip Needleman, the co-president of Monsanto's Searle division. Monsanto is testing the drug for use in other cancers. Merck & Co. is also trying to expand the use of their competing Cox-2 drug, Vioxx, examining the effects of the drug in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have long thought that older painkillers, such as aspirin, might play a role in preventing some kinds of cancer, though Monsanto's research is among the first to establish such a benefit for a painkiller in a rigorous clinical trial. Monsanto shares fell 1 1/4 to close at 41 3/4. Pfizer shares rose 3/16 to 38 13/16.