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Biotech / Medical : SCIO Scios Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tuck who wrote (1394)	8/13/2001 3:35:37 PM
From: Ian@SI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1477

Nice Briefing.com coverage... Scios (SCIO) 20.76 +0.41: This small biopharmaceutical firm announced this morning it has notched its first FDA approved treatment. The drug is called Natrecor and is designed for the intravenous treatment of patients with acutely decompensated congestive heart failure (ADCHF) who have shortness of breath at rest or with minimal activity. Among its benefits, Natrecor significantly improves blood circulation and patient symptoms compared to IV nitroglycerin, an alternative treatment, without the need for labor-intensive monitoring. In addition, its method of administration does not require frequent dosing adjustments. Natrecor is not associated with any increase in the incidence of cardiac arrhythmia and demonstrates no evidence of drug interactions with other compounds used concurrently in the treatment of acute CHF. In an effort to hit the ground running, Scios has completed the recruitment and training of 165 sales people and has prepared all of its promotional materials to support marketing and educational efforts. It's worth mentioning, this morning's announcement is not entirely a surprise to the markets. In July, the FDA issued an approvable letter for Natrecor -- this meant Natrecor faced little in the way of regulatory hurdles though Scios needed to work through the label design and pass an inspection of its manufacturing facility. Regardless of whether the announcement is a complete surprise, the final approval of its first drug is certainly a positive for Scios. On a longer-term basis, Natrecor is expected to generate between $200 million and $300 million in sales annually.