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To: Anthony Wong who wrote (484)	7/8/1998 6:17:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 1722

London Telegraph - Viagra abuse 'will add œ1bn to NHS bill' Wednesday 8 July 1998 telegraph.co.uk

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (484)	7/8/1998 6:21:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 1722

London Times - Doctors say that Viagra workload will cause chaos the-times.co.uk

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (484)	7/8/1998 6:28:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 1722

Vivus seeks partner in face of Viagra competition Wednesday July 8, 6:03 pm Eastern Time MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 8 (Reuters) - Drug company Vivus Inc. (VVUS - news) said Wednesday it is seeking a partner to promote its impotence drug Muse in the United States due to strong competition from the blockbuster drug Viagra . The company said in a statement it will restructure its sales staff resulting in a one-time second quarter charges of $6.5 million and make unspecified job cuts. Viagra, made by Pfizer Inc. (PFE - news) and the first oral drug for impotence, has become one of the most popular prescription drugs since its launch a few months ago. Sales of Vivus' Muse system, which involves placing a pellet into the tip of the penis, have declined since the launch of Viagra as Vivus fought a losing battle to convince consumers that its product works better on those with a moderate to severe problem. Vivus claims that its drug has fallen victim to the advertising frenzy attached to Viagra among both the public and the medical community. ''The primary care physician (PCP) (has become) an important component in the treatment of erectile dysfunction,'' President and Chief Executive Leland Wilson said in a statement. ''Due to patient demand generated by the media, many PCPs are actively prescribing erectile dysfunction treatments.'' The company said it will seek out a partner with strong contacts in the PCP market to revive Muse. Vivus said its 74 urology sales representatives will move to Alza Corp (AZA - news). Vivus was spun off as a separate public company from Alza in 1991. They will continue to sell Muse on a limited basis until December 31. Vivus has also terminated its agreement with Innovex Inc. (INVX - news), which had been providing a contract sales force. The moves are part of an effort to reduce costs and return to profits. The company said the job cuts would affect its administration, research and development, clinical and marketing departments. biz.yahoo.com

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (484)	7/8/1998 6:31:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1722

High Mark Growth Fund Basks In Blue Chips' Popularity: Mgr July 08, 1998 6:11 PM NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--High Mark Growth Fund, a primarily blue-chip stock fund, is in the "sweet spot" of the market, portfolio manager Scott Chapman said. The fund includes large-cap names like Cendant Corp. (CD), Coca-Cola Co. (KO), Dupont & Co. (DD), General Electric Co. (GE), Gillette Co. (G), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Pfizer Inc. (PFE). "The large-cap blue-chip growth stocks have been in favor for their reliability and consistency, which investors have been rewarding." Chapman said in an interview with CNBC Wednesday. He said he looks for stocks that are "the hallmarks of consistency, that day-in and day-out are all-weather performers that have high consistent earnings per share growth in excess of the market averages." He cited General Electric, whose earnings and stock price have grown 28-fold over the last 35 years, as a prime example. Chapman added that he stays away from trendy companies that are "flashes in the pan." In particular, he pointed to Internet companies, which he said are mainly heavy capital-intensive companies that do not generate a very high return. -Nicole Ridgway; 201-938-5174