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

To: BiGx who wrote (6558)	12/28/1998 4:35:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

PFE Rxs for week of 12/18/98 via Merrill Lynch: Lipitor: 43.0% market share of statins- an all-time high Viagra: Very impressive specification...especially the refill stats. This specification trend was predicted by Bear Stearns (11/25/98), "prescribing patterns are unlikely to change dramatically as news (of the Viagra revised labeling) is disseminated since awareness levels about Viagra's safety profile are high among medical professionals....Further next month's American Heart Association guidelines on Viagra use will likely be substantially in-line with the revised label." New Rxs: 70,189 (+3.1%) Highest weekly total since 11/20/98 Refill New Rxs: 100,817 (+6.4%) Second highest weekly refill total ever. Total New Rxs: 171,006 (+5.1%) 3rd highest weekly total since 10/9/98 Refill/New Ratio: 59.0% -second highest ratio ever. Have PFun! BigKNY3

To: BiGx who wrote (6558)	12/28/1998 5:02:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

Frost & Sullivan: Managed Care Systems Transform the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is changing and it is changing fast. The rapid expansion of managed care organizations (MCOs) has hit the pharmaceutical market, and profoundly impacted the entire industry. Pharmaceutical companies must adapt to this swiftly evolving climate in order to survive. According to the latest strategic research study by Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com), Managed Care's Impact on the Pharmaceutical Market, during the 1990s, managed care systems have vastly expanded to cover most U.S. citizens. In 1993, only 81 million people were insured under an MCO plan. By 1998, this number had grown to 148 million. MCOs are now the biggest clients of pharmaceutical companies, and exhibit markedly different buying behaviors. The objective of this Frost & Sullivan study is to examine the evolution of MCOs and their impact on the pharmaceutical benefits offered to the public. The study discusses conflicts between different market players and provides in-depth analysis of where the managed care industry is going. In addition, the study focuses on the relationship between managed care and pharmaceutical companies. ''Pharmaceutical market growth and opportunities are closely tied to the ability of individual pharmaceutical companies to work and prosper in the managed care environment,'' according to Frost & Sullivan Medical Analyst Marina Ulmishek. Some of the major drivers of the market include: increasing access to pharmaceutical products which drive sales volume, increasing availability of data allowing for better drug benefit assessment, and the transfer of Medicare patients into MCOs making pharmaceutical products more affordable to the elderly. Major market restraints include: formulary lists keeping some drugs out of reach of patients, patient desensitization to drug prices making patients less likely to pay for prescriptions out-of-pocket, and consolidated MCO customers having increased bargaining power and putting downward pressure on drug prices. Results of the Frost & Sullivan study have determined that pharmaceutical companies have felt the impact of MCOs primarily at the later stages of the drug life cycle (especially in drug launch and the marketing stage). The impact is now spreading to other stages of the drug development process, and its effects are profound. It is imperative that companies learn to adjust to the new environment and be able to predict how future managed care systems might impact drugs in the pipeline. Managed care is also transforming the delivery of healthcare by changing the reimbursement structure and financial incentives of the different players in the market. In addition, MCOs have quickly evolving structures which pose as an even larger challenge for pharmaceutical companies. As MCOs continue to evolve, pharmaceutical companies must diligently monitor them in order to make strategic decisions about allocation of research and development. It would be advantageous for pharmaceutical companies to form strategic alliances with managed care companies, according to the stud