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Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Henry Niman who wrote (1426)	2/13/1999 11:15:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

Monsanto readies sales blitz for new drug * But arthritis medicine Celebrex seems to be selling itself. Saturday, February 13, 1999 By Robert Steyer Of The Post-Dispatch As Monsanto Co. prepares the big promotion blitz for its new arthritis medication Celebrex, the drug continues to act as if it can sell itself. Early reports show that Celebrex, which reached the market in mid-January, is selling faster than any new drug except Viagra, Pfizer Inc.'s impotence pill. Pfizer is helping Monsanto sell Celebrex. According to NDC Health Information Services, Monsanto sold more Celebrex between Monday and Wednesday - 56,000 new prescriptions were written - than it did during the first two weeks of the drug's launch. Through Wednesday, doctors had written nearly 194,000 new prescriptions. The key to marketing success, though, is refills rather than initial prescriptions. "There's a lot of pent-up demand," said Al Heller, president and chief operating officer of G.D. Searle & Co., the Monsanto drug subsidiary. Searle and Pfizer have completed the try-it-you'll-like it portion of the Celebrex marketing campaign by sending 45,000 "patient-starter kits" to physicians and pharmacies. In each free kit is 10 bottles. Each bottle contains a 25-day supply of Celebrex, more than the usual 7- to-14-day supply that drug companies usually offer for free samples. Using a sophisticated data base, Searle gave its samples to doctors who most often prescribe arthritis-related painkillers - rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists. Searle also aimed the kits at physicians in big medical practices who prescribe large amounts of these painkillers, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The drugs are the most popular for arthritis patients. Searle's marketing pitch emphasizes that Celebrex offers the same pain relief as traditional NSAIDs but causes fewer side effects, such as intestinal bleeding and ulcers. On Tuesday, Searle and Pfizer sales representatives will travel to San Francisco for four days of training prior to the official Feb. 22 launch date. Heller declined to discuss the size of the sales force, but drug industry watchers predict that it could be the biggest drug promotion ever. Heller said the companies decided against selling Celebrex through sales representatives - "detail men" in the old industry parlance - until they could undergo intensive training. "They have to understand this backwards and forwards," he said. "We want to make sure they have the right message." After the sales representatives fan out, Searle and Pfizer will promote Celebrex in medical journals, popular magazines, newspapers and, perhaps, electronic media. Heller wasn't about to tip off competitors to his marketing strategy. But the timing of these promotions depends on when the companies receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration for their advertisements. Copyright (c) 1999, St. Louis Post-Dispatch stlnet.com