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Biotech / Medical : Merck -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mephisto who wrote (1282)	9/22/1999 9:26:00 PM
From: William Partmann	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1580

CollaGenex to Co-Promote Merck's Medicine Vioxx(R) to Dentists WEST POINT, Pa., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK - news) and CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CGPI - news) have entered into an agreement under which CollaGenex will co-promote Vioxx® (rofecoxib) to dentists, periodontists and oral surgeons in the United States. Vioxx, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May, is Merck's new once-a-day medicine for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), management of acute pain in adults, and treatment of menstrual pain (primary dysmenorrhea). Vioxx is the only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that specifically inhibits the COX-2 enzyme that has been approved for the treatment of acute pain, such as dental pain. In just 16 weeks on the market in the United States, more than 1.6 million prescriptions have been written for Vioxx, already making it one of the most successful product introductions in the pharmaceutical industry's history. ''CollaGenex has excellent access to and relationships with dentists, periodontists and oral surgeons in the United States,'' said Wendy Dixon, vice president, marketing, Merck U.S. Human Health. ''This agreement will enable Merck to concentrate its resources on educating medical doctors about Vioxx while CollaGenex representatives focus on their main area of expertise -- dental health.'' According to IMS Health, there are more than 140,000 dentists in the United States who write an average of 1.8 million prescriptions for relief of pain associated with dental procedures on a monthly basis.(1) Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. Vioxx: Effective Pain Relief Following Dental Surgery Vioxx has been approved to treat acute pain in adults, including pain following dental surgery. In a clinical study of 151 patients who had dental surgery to remove two or more wisdom teeth and experienced post-operative pain, a single dose of Vioxx 50 mg relieved pain that was rated by patients as moderate to severe. This was generally similar to a single dose of ibuprofen 400 mg and better than placebo over the first eight hours after dosing, the study's primary endpoint. In this study, Vioxx also relieved pain within 45 minutes. The use of Vioxx for longer than five days in the management of acute pain has not been studied. Serious gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers or bleeding can occur with or without warning symptoms with NSAIDs. Physicians and patients should remain alert for signs and symptoms of GI bleeding. The most common side effects reported in clinical trials with Vioxx were upper-respiratory infection, diarrhea, nausea and high blood pressure. People who have had an allergic reaction to Vioxx, aspirin or other NSAIDs should not take Vioxx. Safety and effectiveness in children below the age of 18 has not been evaluated.