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

To: BiGx who wrote (4306)	7/14/1998 12:43:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Viagra to be approved in Australia by October, see following article: Viagra alert on Net sales The Age (Melbourne, Australia) July 13, 1998 By KAREN LYON The Australian Medical Association has warned men against buying the anti-impotence drug Viagra over the Internet, saying it should be available only on a doctor's recommendation. Newspaper reports suggest that thousands of Australian men are buying the drug over the Internet, while others are bringing it into the country after overseas trips. Viagra, which has gained spectacular attention across the globe, is still awaiting approval from local authorities but could be widely available before the end of the year. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration four months ago. The AMA believes there is little to worry about as long as Viagra is prescribed by a doctor and not mixed with other drugs. Its federal president, Dr David Brand, said the drug should be approved ""sooner rather than later''. He said it had been approved in the US after meeting the FDA's stringent regulations. The AMA was concerned the drug was being used without medical advice, Dr Brand said. Viagra should not be mixed with ""nitrate'' drugs, usually prescribed for angina, he said. There had been 30 deaths in the US associated with, but not caused by, Viagra. Weekend reports suggested the drug could be available in Australia by October as the year-long evaluation and approval process had been completed. Prices could range between $10 and $20 per tablet. No decision has been made on whether or not the drug should be placed on the Pharmaceuticals Benefit Scheme. A spokesman for the federal Minister for Health, Dr Michael Wooldridge, said drugs on the scheme were generally ""life-saving'' drugs. He could not confirm a release date for the drug but said October was reasonable. The Therapeutic Goods Authority and the National Health and Medical Research Centre had yet to advise the minister on whether or not it had Australian approval. The Federal Government has urged the local authorities to make a decision on Viagra's Australian status as soon as possible. The spokesman said the Government did not want to see a growth in the black market for the drug. Figures released in the US last week indicate Viagra is now the world's biggest-selling drug in the four months since it was approved there. It is expected that US sales will reach $US1billion by March. theage.com.au