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

To: Uncle Frank who wrote (6336)	11/24/1998 1:20:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9523

Viagra Role Eyed in Plane Crash Tuesday November 24 8:42 AM ET EDGEWATER, Md. (AP) - Federal authorities are looking into whether the impotence drug Viagra caused the plane crash that killed actor William Gardner Knight by impairing his vision. It's the first such investigation into whether Viagra played a role in a plane crash, said Kathryn Creedy, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman. Knight, 56, was killed Saturday when his light plane crashed in Maryland. Investigators have asked the state medical examiner to determine whether he was using Viagra, but declined to comment about why the request was made. ''Viagra affects pilots' color vision, possibly impairing their ability to distinguish between blue and green. These colors are used extensively in airport lighting and cockpit instrumentation,'' Creedy said. Last month, the FAA recommended that pilots avoid taking the drug within six hours of flying because its side effects can include difficulty in distinguishing certain colors. Pamela Gemmel, a spokeswoman for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that makes Viagra, said that during testing on men, 3 percent reported ''visual disturbances'' that ranged from sensitivity to light to seeing a bluish-green haze. Knight, who appeared in films including ''Wall Street'' and ''Born on the Fourth of July,'' left Delray Beach, Fla., on Saturday morning and made two stops before trying to land at Lee Airport in Edgewater about 5:30 p.m. The engine appeared to have been stopped before the plane hit the water, said Larry Walker, who is heading the investigation for the Anne Arundel County Police. dailynews.yahoo.com

To: Uncle Frank who wrote (6336)	11/24/1998 5:22:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9523

Pfizer's Impotence Pill Viagra to Carry New Warnings, FDA Says Bloomberg News November 24, 1998, 4:04 p.m. ET Pfizer's Impotence Pill Viagra to Carry New Warnings, FDA Says Washington, Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Pfizer Inc.'s impotence drug Viagra will carry new warnings to ensure its safe use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The move is just the latest in a series of additions to the label of the impotence pill, which saw unprecedented demand in its first three months on the market. As men rushed to pharmacies to get Viagra, the FDA received numerous reports of misuse and deaths among people who had taken the drug. The FDA said the new warnings come in response to reports of ''serious adverse events'' in men who have taken the drug. These include heart attacks, sudden cardiac deaths and high blood pressure. The labels warn that men who have a history of heart problems should be careful about resuming sexual activity. ''The labeling notes that it is not possible at present to determine whether the cardiovascular events are directly related to Viagra, to sexual activity, to the patient's underlying disease or to a combination of these factors,'' the FDA said. The agency added that it ''continues to believe Viagra is safe and effective if used according to the updated labeling.'' Shares of New York-based Pfizer fell 1 1/8 to 115. Officials at Pfizer were not immediately available for comment. In the past, the company has repeatedly said the drug is safe when used properly. Viagra became a household word after Pfizer won approval for the drug in late March. It had the most successful drug introduction in the U.S., with second-quarter sales of $411 million as wholesalers stocked up on the drug. Since then, however, sales have dropped. The drug had third- quarter sales of $141 million, below the $150 million to $200 million some analysts had expected. --Kristin Jensen and Kristin Reed in the Washington newsroom