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

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (4379)	7/16/1998
From: chukles	Respond to of 9523

Thank You For the informative posts Bigk, I found this on one of my newsfeeds: NEWTOWN, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--July 15, 1998--Office-based physicians reported 3 million visits for erectile dysfunction in the 12 months ending April 1998, according to health care consultants Scott-Levin. That represents a 34% increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction from May 1997 to April 1998. Most of these visits are a result of Viagra, which went on the market in April. Scott-Levin data also show that erectile dysfunction patients requested drug therapy during 45% of the visits, and about 75% of the patient requests were granted by physicians. Viagra was the therapy requested most often during the 12 months ending April 1998, followed by MUSE and Caverject. According to Scott-Levin's Source Prescription Audit: -- Urologists wrote the most prescriptions (43%) for erectile dysfunction therapies in April 1998, followed by primary care physicians who prescribed 42% of the 659,000 prescriptions dispensed in that month. -- During its first month of availability, Viagra gained nearly 95% of the new prescriptions and 90% of the total prescriptions dispensed for this market. -- The Viagra launch arguably could be the most successful in history, considering the product generated 592,000 prescriptions in its first month on the market. In comparison to recent launches, the oral diabetes agent Rezulin produced 78,000 prescriptions in April 1997, the lipid lowering drug Lipitor generated 139,000 prescriptions in March 1997, and the obesity drug Redux attained 153,000 prescriptions in June 1996. -- In the 12 months ending April 1998, U.S. consumers spent $196 million on erectile dysfunction therapies at retail pharmacies. Managed care plans covered only half of the prescriptions dispensed for erectile dysfunction therapies in April 1998, compared to an industry average of 65%. On average, Viagra cost consumers about $9.30 per tablet in April. Scott-Levin's Source Prescription Audit Weekly data shows nearly 1.4 million Viagra prescriptions were dispensed since launch as of the week ending May 15, 1998. For more information, please contact Kevin McFadden at 800/982-5613. Scott-Levin, a division of PMSI/Scott-Levin Inc., provides consulting and communications services to pharmaceutical companies worldwide, including market research audits that address every aspect of pharmaceutical promotion. Visit Scott-Levin on the World Wide Web at scottlevin.com.

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (4379)	7/16/1998 1:58:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

BigKNY3, thanks for all the analyst ratings and comments, very useful reference.

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (4379)	7/16/1998 2:22:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Viagra could eventually be available over the counter in the UK! Viagra On NHS 'Would Be Targeted On Clinical Need' Wednesday July 15, 7:45 AM The revolutionary impotence treatment Viagra will not be used as "a recreational drug" at the expense of NHS resources, the Government has pledged. Amid fears from GPs that demand for the drug could place a œ1 billion burden on their budgets, Health Minister of State Alan Milburn insisted it would only be prescribed to patients with a legitimate medical case. "It is vital that any prescribing should be closely targeted on patients with genuine clinical need," he told the Commons in a short late-night debate on the issue. "Viagra is unusual, if not unique, in the scope for patients using it as a recreational drug, rather than for real health need," he stressed. "I am determined to ensure NHS resources are not frittered away in this fashion." Mr Milburn told MPs the drug could be cleared for sale in Britain in less than three months if it passed EU tests - and could eventually be made available over the counter at chemists. In the meantime, the Government had been "giving serious thought" to the potential use and costs of Viagra, and the Standing Medical Advisory Committee had been asked to develop guidance for the NHS on how it could be handled. Stressing the Government was keeping the situation under review, as the drug has not yet been licensed, Mr Milburn said GPs should not be left to meet the demand for Viagra when it arrived in Britain. "The Government does not want to see GPs burdened with the wide expectations which have been built up around this drug." But ministers recognised impotence was, for some patients, "a significant clinical condition for which effective treatment may legitimately be provided on the NHS". yahoo.co.uk