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To: Anthony Wong who wrote (362)	6/19/1998 3:16:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 1722

Viagra sex pill: the Middle Eastern political aspects Arabic News Regional, Humour, 6/19/98 The magic pill, as many call the Viagra, has drawn the attention of people other than those who suffer of sexual impotence. In Middle Eastern politics, where nothing seems to be moving these days, the Viagra has a political impact too. Men on the street, for instance, have no problem in suggesting a political Viagra to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu so that he would become capable of taking a decision on the redeployment issue. Others propose the Viagra as a substitute to the peace dove, which seems to have lost all energy to hover in the skies of the Middle East. "It sounds a good idea to have such a magic pill at your disposal," said Mustafa, a 68 year old shop owner in the Old City of Jerusalem, "but I do not really think I need it for myself. I think the whole situation in the region needs this pill." "When everything is up in limbo," he reasoned, "only miracles can move things forward and a Viagra pill can be one of those miracles." In East Jerusalem, a Viagra is not illegal, since Israeli laws are applied to the occupied city. But in the Palestinian government areas, the Viagra has been declared banned. The Palestinian health ministry has yet to issue a permit for usage or import of the Viagra. But, like in many other countries, the black market is flourishing. A Viagra pill can be sold at up to US $40. It is mostly smuggled either from Israel or into the Gaza Strip from Egypt, where the pill is illegal too. The ban on Viagra usage does not specify the pill itself but states that drugs that have yet to be approved by the health authorities are not legal to deal with. But there is always a substitute to everything. Those who cannot afford buying the Viagra at a black market rate, can always look for bottles of royal jelly or mixtures of medicinal herbs or ginseng pills and liquids from the Far East. The traditional herbal medicines are very popular in the region and every neighborhood has at least one herbal expert or pharmacist who has a list of medicines taken from nature for a variety of diseases, starting from influenza, cold and stomach aches and ending with sexual impotence. Some call it "the pill of true happiness," but officially, this happiness is beyond the legal reach of people in some of the Gulf countries as well as in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Qatar is still deliberating the question and Morocco has officially announced that it would allow the sale of the pill within two weeks. Unlike their Egyptian colleagues, Palestinian journalists and newspapers have dealt with the Viagra issue with reservation. The Egyptian media, for instance, found ways to turn the Viagra into one of the main topics. Almost every newspaper has dedicated at least one article or an interview to the subject. They not only talk of the political Viagra that is needed to lift up the ailing peace process but also of an "economic Viagra" to uplift to the privatization process and a "family Viagra" to return the color to the cheeks of many couples. Egyptian cartoonists too found in the Viagra a creative element for their drawings. One cartoon, for instance, shows US President Bill Clinton, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu standing in front of a dying dove of peace, while Clinton announces that, "The pigeon (a popular term for the male organ) is very tired. Perhaps it is time for us all to take a Viagra." arabicnews.com

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (362)	6/19/1998 3:21:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

Pfizer Receives Non-Approvable Letter From FDA for the ntipsychotic Zeldox Friday June 19, 2:45 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Pfizer Inc NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE - news) said today it has received a non-approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its novel antipsychotic Zeldox (ziprasidone Hcl). Pfizer said it is planning to meet with the FDA to discuss the issues raised by the agency, including the possible submission of additional data, as suggested by the FDA. ''We are obviously disappointed at this development, but remain confident of the safety and efficacy of Zeldox,'' said John F. Niblack, Ph.D., executive vice president of Pfizer Inc and head of Research and Development. ''We remain committed to making every effort to bring this medicine to patients in the U.S. and around the world. ''We believe that the additional studies and analyses suggested by the FDA can be undertaken in a relatively short period, and that we will be able to advance the application accordingly,'' said Dr. Niblack. SOURCE: Pfizer Inc biz.yahoo.com