Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (5067)	8/20/1998 8:40:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 9523

Viagra Should be Covered by Insurance Plans, Pfizer Tells California Managed Care Regulators August 20, 1998 12:46 PM LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Viagra is a major advance in treating a serious medical condition and should be covered by both public and private health plans, a Pfizer Inc official told a state agency that regulates managed care in California. In a statewide meeting about pharmaceuticals and managed care reimbursement practices, Pfizer representative Mike Magee, M.D., said that Viagra (sildenafil citrate) provides important benefits to patients and partners because it effectively treats a serious medical condition. "Erectile dysfunction (ED) can profoundly affect men's self-esteem, marriages and families. Our experience to date, which includes widespread prescribing and comprehensive safety monitoring, confirms that Viagra is a safe and effective breakthrough that should be reimbursed by health plans," said Dr. Magee. "It's important to note that Viagra is about one-third the cost of existing FDA-approved therapies, including injections and suppositories that are currently covered by many health care plans," he continued. "Because Pfizer recognizes the complexity of reimbursement decisions over the need to manage medical costs, we have worked with plans that have developed reasonable limits on the number of pills reimbursed per month." Speaking to the California Department of Corporations, Dr. Magee said that Viagra has now been prescribed by approximately 200,000 physicians. One important public health benefit of the widespread patient interest is that more men are visiting physicians who may be able to diagnose and treat other serious medical conditions that are commonly associated with ED and can be life-threatening. Dr. Magee noted that more than 80 percent of the approximately 3.5 million prescriptions have been for men over the age of 50, and that the health profiles of these men often include chronic and multiple underlying diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and depression. "Because the health profiles of the patients in the trials closely resemble today's typical Viagra user, we are very confident that this medicine, when prescribed as indicated, is safe and effective. This is further supported by the fact that the vast amount of data generated by the widespread prescribing of Viagra in the first four months after U.S. approval are equivalent to approximately two years' of experience for other medicines. The data confirm that the safety profile of Viagra reflects the predicted outcomes of our extensive pre-approval clinical trials," he said. The hearing examined emerging issues related to the availability of innovative pharmaceutical therapies and the impact on quality and accessibility of health care provided by California health plans. Currently about 40 percent of Viagra prescriptions have been covered by reimbursement, Magee said, noting the recent decision by PM Group Life Insurance in Fountain Valley, California to cover Viagra. Blue Cross California is another major plan reimbursing Viagra in the state. Viagra is the first in a new class of selective PDE-5 inhibitors which, in the presence of sexual stimulation, enhances blood flow to the penis. In clinical trials, Viagra was shown to be effective in about seven out of 10 men. Viagra works in men with mild, moderate and severe cases of erectile dysfunction. Pfizer recommends that patients receive a full medical evaluation before possible treatment with Viagra. Viagra should not be taken by patients who use drugs known as nitrates in any form at any time. Pfizer has extensively communicated information about this contraindication to health care professionals. Pfizer Inc is a research-based health care company with global operations. The company reported revenues of $12.5 billion in 1997 and plans to invest approximately $2.2 billion in R&D this year. CONTACT: Andy McCormick of Pfizer Inc, 212-573-1226 12:29 EDT 5637 08/20/98 12:29 EDT HT smartmoney.com

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (5067)	8/20/1998 8:50:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9523

Plant Touted as 'Lebanese Viagra' Thursday August 20 5:51 PM EDT JOSEPH PANOSSIAN Associated Press Writer BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - The plant known as Shirsh Zallouh has grown high in Lebanon's mountains for millennia, disturbed only by herbalists who prescribe it as a stimulant. But almost overnight, the root has entered the common vernacular. The spark? Beirut newspapers have christened Shirsh Zallouh the ''Lebanese Viagra.'' The sudden surge in demand by Lebanese men and women seeking a sex panacea is causing scientists to fret about the plant's possible extinction. Health officials, meanwhile, worry that amateur harvesters could confuse the plant with look-alike roots that are highly toxic. Pierre Malychef, an ecologist and former professor of pharmacology at two Lebanese universities, found six harmful plants that were mistaken for the herb. One of them contained the poison that killed the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Shirsh Zallouh, Arabic for ''hairy root,'' grows above 6,000 feet. It can be picked from August to October, after its roots mature and before snow makes the mountains inaccessible. It belongs to the parsley family and has the Latin name Ferula Hormonis. While some specialists doubt the plant's medicinal value, people are climbing eastern Lebanon's mountains and biblical Mount Hermon in the south to gather the roots for personal use or for sale. ''I am afraid an ecological disaster will ensue if the uncontrolled harvesting continues,'' said Malychef. Businessman Kuftan Jamal said he cannot get enough to meet increasing demand. The price has risen from $3.30 to $16.50 for a little more than 2 pounds. Some herb dealers say they've had inquiries from as far away as Australia and Japan about deals to package the drug as a modern medicine. The Shirsh Zallouh fad began weeks ago when newspapers dubbed it ''Lebanese Viagra without the side effects.'' Most Arab states have banned the U.S. impotency drug. Usually the roots of Shirsh Zallouh are eaten after being soaked in wine or are ground into powder that is put into capsules or mixed with tea. In Syria, the powder is mixed with honey. Dr. Wassim Wazzan, a specialist in treating impotence at Beirut's American University Hospital, expressed skepticism about its effectiveness, saying, ''We as doctors trained in Western medicine ... don't use herbs.'' But Dr. Ali Abou Hamman, a physician in the village of Chebaa near Mount Hermon, said in a telephone interview that he has treated ''hundreds of people ... with a 100 percent success rate.'' dailynews.yahoo.com