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

To: Jim Lamb who wrote (4769)	8/6/1998 8:43:00 AM
From: John England	Respond to of 9523

Thursday August 6, 1:01 am Eastern Time Costa Rica gives Viagra the green light SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Costa Rica has added itself to the small but growing list of countries outside the United States to authorize the legal sale of the anti-impotence pill Viagra, officials said on Wednesday. After weeks of sometimes heated discussions, health officials approved the sale late on Tuesday, Health Minister Rogelio Pardo told reporters on Wednesday. He said the pill would be available in several days. Viagra, made by U.S. drugs firm Pfizer (PFE - news), is already sold in the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand and Brazil. Pardo said the pill could benefit up to 40 percent of the male Costa Rican population. ''This is the percentage of the population that has erectile dysfunction or impotence and they are the potential market,'' Pardo said. Controversy arose when some health officials recommended selling the pill in just 50 milligram doses, blocking the sale in its 100 milligram presentation. After protests from Pfizer, officials relented and agreed to allow the sale of both the 50 milligram and 100 milligram pills. In return, the pharmaceutical firm agreed to carry out an extensive eduction campaign among doctors and pharmacy firms outlining potential dangers and side effects of the drug.

To: Jim Lamb who wrote (4769)	8/6/1998 11:21:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 9523

U.S. FTC Temporarily Halts Sale of 'Viagra-Like' Products Bloomberg News August 6, 1998, 12:29 p.m. ET U.S. FTC Temporarily Halts Sale of 'Viagra-Like' Products Washington, Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Federal consumer protection officials halted operation of several companies they said are selling phony ''Viagra-like'' products. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said American Urological Corp. and several related businesses -- all under the direction of David Brady -- marketed a variety of treatments falsely claiming to cure impotence. ''Taking advantage of consumers seeking treatment for a very personal, potentially serious medical condition is just plain wrong,'' said Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. In one case, Brady sold a product called ''Vaegra,'' a name closely resembling that of Pfizer Inc.'s highly publicized Viagra, the first pill ever approved by the Food and Drug Administration for impotence. The demand for Viagra, which went on sale in April, has been greater than any new drug in history. The FTC found that Vaegra and Viagra bear no similarity. Ads for Vaegra and other phony treatments falsely claim to have eliminated impotence in 68 to 94 percent of men although the drug has not been scientifically proven to work for anyone, the FTC said. The U.S. District Court in Atlanta froze the assets of Brady and his companies. The FTC is seeking a permanent injunction to prohibit false advertising and to force the companies to make refunds to hoodwinked consumers. No phone number is listed for American Urological, which the FTC said has a Dallas address. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that the defendants used direct mail and fictitious names, including the New England Institute for Impotence and Prostate Care, to sell a number of unapproved oral treatments for impotence. Those products, which ranged in price from $39.45 to $98.95, were sold under various names, including ''Renak-pc,'' ''Oral Phentalomil,'' and ''Testosterone-21.'' --Anne Marie Squeo in Washington at 202-624-1862 /jhr