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Biotech / Medical : VVUS: VIVUS INC. (NASDAQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RT who wrote (17736)	1/13/1999 4:40:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23519

RT <<Some suggestions on what to look for: -New Rxs: The key to the health of a new product. Look for volume, market share and growth trends. Viagra New Rxs are expected to plateau and decline due to heavy initial trial usage. Holidays and major specialty conventions (such as the AUA Meeting) will effect weekly totals. -Refill Rxs: An important indicator of the efficacy and toleration of a new product particularly one for prn therapy such as ED. These patients will not refill a product that is not working or is causing adverse reactions. -Refill/New Rx Ratio: Another indicator of a product's success. After an initial launch period of 4-6 months, a successful new product should have a refill ratio of at least 50%. Conversely, a product with a refill ratio of less than 50% after 4-6 months may not have been viewed as effective, well-tolerated, or available. In addition, a ratio of greater than 110% may result from a sharp decline in new specification due to alternative new therapies ....while the remaining satisfied patients continue to refill their Rxs. If this ratio is significantly higher than historical norms, the product may be in trouble.>> RT: Just curious, who is the source for these suggestions? BigKNY3

To: RT who wrote (17736)	1/13/1999 4:51:00 PM
From: VLAD	Respond to of 23519

RT, That last paragraph hit a cord in regards to Viagra. The last weeks prescription numbers showed new Viagra prescriptions again near an all time low. It appears to me that considering it was a holiday week, Viagra has been struggling at a new prescription level in the low 70,000s(for a full week) ever since the end of last summer. In the mean time Pfizer has done a lot of advertising (just love those TV commercials telling us how wholesome they are) and has had Bob Dole touting Viagra. The advertising has done nothing to increase new prescriptions and of course Pfizer dares not to do specific commercials on Viagra since they would have to reveal all the precautions/side effects (would be a very long commercial). Can you imagine what the commercial would sound like? Wouldn't be good for Viagra sales.