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Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (176)	6/2/1998 11:49:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1722

American Home Says Its Depression Drug Better Than Prozac Bloomberg News June 2, 1998, 2:26 p.m. PT American Home Says Its Depression Drug Better Than Prozac Toronto, June 2 (Bloomberg) -- American Home Products Corp. said new studies suggest its Effexor XR drug may offer a better option to patients battling depression than market leader Prozac, sold by Eli Lilly & Co. Researchers presented results of two company-sponsored studies today at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Toronto. One study found that 37 percent of patients treated with Effexor XR saw their depression go into remission after eight weeks compared with 22 percent of patients on Prozac. Another study, while finding the drugs similar in their ability to fight depression at 12 weeks, showed that Effexor XR could better reduce symptoms of anxiety. ''Because Effexor XR also has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms in patients with depression, it represents an efficacious treatment option,'' said Jeffrey Kelsey, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine who has performed research on Effexor in the past. Madison, New Jersey-based American Home, which won U.S. approval for Effexor for depression last year, is just one of several companies trying to horn in on the success of Prozac, which in 1997 racked up sales of about $2.6 billion for Indianapolis-based Lilly. Also today, researchers presented various studies of Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc.'s new drug known as reboxetine. One study showed reboxetine was better at returning patients' normal social functioning than Prozac. Another showed the drug could better fight severe depression, Pharmacia & Upjohn said. The newer drugs work in different ways than Prozac, which is part of a groundbreaking class known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The SSRIs regulate the body's processing of a brain chemical known as serotonin, a key player in neurological functions such as mood. American Home's Effexor regulates processing of both serotonin and another brain chemical known as norepinephrine, while Pharmacia & Upjohn's reboxetine focuses specifically on norepinephrine. Bridgewater, New Jersey-based Pharmacia & Upjohn recently filed for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of its drug. Tomorrow, New York-based Pfizer Inc. is expected to have new research on its Zoloft drug in depression and other mental disorders. Pfizer's Zoloft is part of the same class as Prozac and had sales of about $1.5 billion in 1997. --Kristin Jensen in the Washington newsroom (202) 624-1843 /ba

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (176)	6/3/1998 2:23:00 AM
From: Barron Von Hymen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

Let's talk a/b all the negative facts about the competitor's drug's. I'll start with Vasomax (phentolamine). 40 mg gives 45% increase in number of successful intercourses, placebo gives almost 25%. At 40 mg, we are close to 60 mg at which point adverse events include hypotension (lowered blood pressure) and dizziness - definitely things to worry about when administrating to elderly patients and patients on heart medication. source: 207.10.206.114

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (176)	6/3/1998 2:27:00 AM
From: Barron Von Hymen	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1722

These circulatory effects of Vasomax are not surprising b/c it acts on the alpha adrenergic receptors which are important for effecting things like blood pressure. I wonder how they are going to get the drug to act specifically on the receptors in the penis other than injecting Vasomax? About Apomorphine, isn't that the drug they give your dog to make it barf? I'm not surprised then, that it causes nausea in 20% of men who take it. Anyone know other central side effects that Apomorphine causes? If worry about competition is what's driving PFE's stock weakness, then it looks like I may load up on some more shares at 102-104 level, cuz most of us know the whole FDA/ and 4 deaths issue is overblown. I was going to call up my broker and explain the situation to him, but by that time the firm had already sent me a detailed report explaining PFE's a buy based on recent weakness surrounding recent news articles. They should be paying me. heh heh