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

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (3536)	6/15/1998 6:18:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 9523

[Scripts!]Pfizer's Viagra Sales Rebound After Slipping on Death Reports Bloomberg News June 15, 1998, 5:21 p.m. ET Pfizer's Viagra Sales Rebound After Slipping on Death Reports New York, June 15 (Bloomberg) -- Pfizer Inc.'s Viagra sales rose 21 percent in the week ended June 5, rebounding after a May decline in sales of the first pill to treat impotence, said IMS Health, which surveys pharmacists about drug sales. Viagra sales increased to 255,908 prescriptions in the week ended June 5 from 210,857 in the week ended May 29. Viagra sales had reached a high of 303,424 prescriptions filled in the week ended May 8 before U.S. regulators reported the deaths of several Viagra users. The drug hasn't been found to be the direct cause of the deaths. Viagra became one of the best-selling U.S. drugs within weeks of its April introduction. More than 1.1 prescriptions were filled in May alone. The blue diamond-shaped pill is a more convenient treatment that rival products, such as injections. Viagra sales were expected to rebound after slowing in late May when the Memorial Day holiday shut many doctors' offices. ''It shows there is staying power to this product,'' said James Keeney, an analyst with ABN Amro, who has a ''buy'' rating on Pfizer. Pfizer, a New York-based drugmaker with laboratories in Connecticut, fell 1 5/16 to 108. Pfizer hit a record high of 121 3/4 on April 21 as Viagra's early sales passed most analysts' estimates. The drug was introduced in the U.S. in early April. Viagra sales are expected to top $1 billion in its first 12 months on the market. Pfizer could start sales in the European Union later this year. Analysts have said it will be difficult to estimate Viagra's annual sales until they have seen at least three month's worth of sales. They are trying to gauge how many men will become regular users of the drug and how many will try it only once or twice. In the week ended June 5, Viagra refills rose 28 percent to 63,323 prescriptions from 49,452. IMS Health is a unit of Westport, Connecticut-based Cognizant Corp. --Kerry Dooley in the Princeton newsroom (609) 279-4016/esk

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (3536)	6/16/1998 8:02:00 AM
From: James Baker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Tuesday June 16, 7:29 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Vivus' MUSE, Alprostadil, Achieves 60% Efficacy in Diabetic Men Data Presented At the ADA Meeting in Chicago MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--June 16, 1998--VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS - news) today announced the results of an independent study in which MUSE(R) (alprostadil) achieved a 60% efficacy rate in diabetic men with erectile dysfunction. The abstract was presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in Chicago which concluded today. The 230 person study included 65 diabetic and 165 non-diabetic men with erectile dysfunction who received MUSE for up to six months. Prior to MUSE dosing, patients had a 30-45 minute counseling session that included a video on the proper administration of MUSE. The treatment was deemed successful when patients completed sexual intercourse on two or more occasions. The researchers reported that 60% of the diabetic patients had ''success'' compared to 54% of non-diabetic patients. It is estimated that half of the approximately four million men with diabetes mellitus in the United States will experience erectile dysfunction. ''MUSE is a good treatment option for men with diabetes and/or vascular disease especially because it has few systemic side effects,'' said Kenneth Snow, MD, Medical Director of the Joslin-Lahey Diabetes & Endocrinology Center in Peabody, MA and a lead investigator in this trial. The authors also concluded that MUSE appears to be more effective in men over the age of 50 and perhaps more effective in men with organic risk factors, as opposed to psychological factors. Approximately 80% of all cases of erectile dysfunction are believed to have a physiological origin. The investigators also noted that patient education is critical to the success of the treatment. ''This is an important new trial that confirms the efficacy of MUSE in treating erectile dysfunction during actual clinical practice,'' stated Leland Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer. ''The rate of effectiveness reported here equals or surpasses what we have seen in previous studies. In addition, the trial demonstrates that education is key to the successful use of MUSE.'' Founded in 1991, VIVUS, Inc. is a leader in the development of advanced therapeutic systems for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, commonly referred to as impotence. VIVUS has pioneered a novel therapy for erectile dysfunction known as MUSE Note to editors: MUSE is a registered trademark of VIVUS, Inc. Additional written materials, recent releases and Company information are available through a variety of sources, including: the VIVUS home page (www.vivus.com) and the VIVUS Fax-On-Demand Service (1-888-329-5719). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contact: VIVUS Nina W. Ferrari, 650/934-5200

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (3536)	6/16/1998 8:42:00 AM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SCHNEIDER PR Wire June 16, 1998, 5:15 a.m. PT eider NATICK, Mass., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced today the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Schneider Worldwide, a member of the Medical Technology Group of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), for approximately $2.1 billion in cash. Headquartered in Bulach, Switzerland, Schneider develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of catheter-based technologies used in less invasive medicine. Its product offerings include stents, angioplasty devices, and accessories for both coronary and peripheral applications. In 1997, Schneider reported sales of approximately $330 million. The transaction is expected to close later this year and is subject to the usual regulatory approvals. It is expected that the transaction will be modestly dilutive to 1999 results. The combination will enable Boston Scientific to immediately become a participant in a number of high growth areas of interventional medicine in which it currently does not compete. With the technology and intellectual property platform of Schneider, Boston Scientific will be able to offer rapid exchange catheters in the U.S. with both a wide range of balloon angioplasty catheter devices and coronary stent delivery systems. Boston Scientific will also gain rights to broaden its product offering to include nylon balloon technology. Also, with the Schneider Wallstent, Boston Scientific will, for the first time, be able to offer a number of new non-coronary stent products including U.S. FDA approved applications for the iliac, femoral and TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt). Schneider brings with it the NAMIC business, a global leader in the manufacture and sale of a broad line of products used for controlled delivery and monitoring of fluids during angiography and angioplasty procedures. The NAMIC product line will enable Boston Scientific to broaden its product offerings to catheterization labs around the world as a full service specialty supplier. The combination should also complement many research and development programs at Boston Scientific. Schneider has been investing in many new technology areas of interest including carotid stenting, stent grafting, coronary radiation therapy, and biomaterials and coatings. Commenting on the transaction, Pete Nicholas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific, noted, "We are very pleased to welcome the worldwide Schneider organization to the BSC family. The addition of Schneider will significantly expand our global presence and product offering for the treatment of patients suffering from coronary and peripheral vascular disease. Schneider, like Boston Scientific, has been an early pioneer and leader in the field of interventional medicine. We look forward to continuing our efforts together as a new and stronger company." This press release contains forward looking statements with respect to the opportunities offered by a Boston Scientific/Schneider combination. The Company wishes to caution the reader of this press release that actual results may differ from those discussed in the forward looking statements and may be adversely affected by, among other things, risks and uncertainties related to competitive offerings and new product launches, timing and scope of regulatory approvals, research and development programs, continued international expansion and foreign exchange fluctuations, intellectual property rights, the ability of the Company to implement its overall business strategy and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties. SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation -0- 6/16/98

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (3536)	6/17/1998 7:20:00 AM
From: David M. Sawyer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

WSJ Jun 17 Ad News Advertising Just What Goes in a Viagra Ad? Early Reports Say Dancing Couples By SALLY GOLL BEATTY Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Pfizer is preparing a consumer ad campaign for Viagra even though it is already one of the fastest-selling prescription drugs ever. The campaign, slated to start in the fall, will be supported by material sent to doctors' offices, people familiar with the plan say. Pfizer, based in New York, declined to confirm that it plans consumer ads, and wouldn't say what they might look like. But a sneak preview is already on view in a wave of ads that began appearing this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and other medical journals. They feature a glossy eight-page photo spread of older couples dancing cheek to cheek. The opening page spotlights a couple's dancing feet. Little arrows sketch out the pattern of a two-step. Underneath is a photo of the now-familiar little blue anti-impotence pill, tilting forward. The headline: "Introducing New Viagra, the Simple New Step to Improve Erectile Function." "Pfizer is saying it's a medical condition, and it's a medical condition that affects the quality of life of not just the man, but the partner," says Pfizer spokesman Andy McCormick. Why spend money to promote a drug that already stars in television talk shows and weekend cocktail-party chatter? And are consumer-oriented ads a good idea when thousands of healthy men have started taking Viagra to enhance sex -- despite Pfizer's assurances that it is ineffective except in cases of impotence? There is also the issue of the 16 reported deaths among Viagra patients, many of whom had heart conditions and some of whom were taking other drugs such as nitroglycerine, a combination that Pfizer has warned is potentially deadly. "We would suggest there is a risk in not advertising a product," responds Mr. McCormick. "Pfizer has done its best to communicate plainly and repeatedly about the attributes and the known risks, including the contraindications with nitrates. That's very important and it's on those ads." Viagra ads are already running in about 50 medical publications. They target an unusually broad audience of doctors, including urologists, primary-care physicians, psychiatrists, cardiologists and people who treat diabetes, suggesting the wide variety of physicians Pfizer expects to be writing prescriptions for the drug. Ad executives figure that the doctor-focused campaign could cost more than $5 million by the time it winds up later this summer -- a big sum by the standards of most medical-journal advertising. Pfizer won't talk about budgets but says it believes the doctor push alone is among the biggest ever for a prescription drug. Come October, the dancing-couples campaign will begin in consumer magazines, people familiar with Pfizer's plans say. If previous consumer-ad campaigns for drugs such as Schering-Plough's Claritin are any guide, Pfizer could end up pouring more than $60 million more into advertising aimed at consumers. And that doesn't include the countless pamphlets, wall posters and other materials that the company plans to deliver to doctors' offices. Pfizer is also sponsoring seminars for professionals and this week began sending out pamphlets detailing the appropriate use of Viagra to more than 750,000 physicians. The medical-journal ads were created by Cline Davis & Mann, an ad agency in Manhattan that has created consumer ad campaigns for Pfizer products such as Bain de Soleil tanning lotions and BenGay, a sore-muscle ointment. Pfizer says it is simply trying to introduce its new drug to doctors. "We believe that the safety and efficacy demonstrated with Viagra in the clinical trials is impressive and reassuring to physicians, and we want to communicate that," says Pfizer's Mr. McCormick. "We're trying to be positive and upbeat." Ad professionals who specialize in drug advertising say there are competitive reasons for Pfizer to advertise aggressively. Asking why Pfizer is advertising Viagra is like asking "Why would Nike bother to advertise?" says Penny Hawkey, executive creative director at Medicus Communications, a medical ad agency owned by the closely held MacManus Group in New York. "You can never do enough to gain 'top of mind,' " she says. "You need to get there and stay there. You have to claim the hill so whoever is coming in behind you doesn't have a shot. The faster the better." "There are other drugs coming and Pfizer has a window of opportunity," adds Ed Rady, president of Medicus Medical Education, a sister company also owned by MacManus . "If I were them, I would try to capture as big a share of this market as possible before others come." Mr. Rady suggests Pfizer borrow a page out of the beer marketer's play book. Pointing to "drive carefully" campaigns, Mr. Rady notes that beer companies "have a certain amount of advertising that sells their beer and a certain amount that sells responsibility. They should be doing the same thing," he says of Pfizer. Besides, others say, Pfizer needs to shout to overcome all the voices out there in the marketplace. "You have to control your own image," says Jerry Lee, managing director of HMC Advertising & Marketing, an ad agency specializing in drug advertising that is part of Omnicom Group. "If you don't create your own brand image, other people will take it and control it for you, and you can't let that happen."