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

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (7104)	2/27/1999 4:46:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

Pfizer To Embark On Recruitment Drive In Japan - Nikkei 02/27/99 Dow Jones News Service TOKYO (Nikkei)--Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc. will hire 250-300 people a year in Japan over the next five years, company officials said, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun Sunday edition. The company plans to push sales and R&D in Japan as it gears up to introduce its Viagra impotence pill and other new drugs. Pfizer currently employs about 2,700 people in Japan. The company plans to hire 560 sales staff and 210 researchers over the next three years. Officials said one-third of the recruits will be new graduates and the rest will be hired from the pharmaceutical and other industries. Pfizer plans to introduce Viagra and an anti-infection drug in Japan this year. It expects annual sales of 10 billion yen for each of the products, officials said.

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (7104)	2/27/1999 4:50:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

Viagra zipping toward Canadian approval MARLENE HABIB 02/27/99 The Globe and Mail Metro Page A2 Toronto -- The anti-impotence pill Viagra has passed a major stumbling block and received a medical stamp of approval, a Health Canada spokesman said yesterday. Approval of the drug in Canada is now a foregone conclusion and could happen in early March, suggested Dr. Hans Heich. "The medical area has been approved," Dr. Heich, one of the federal govenment's medical evaluators, said from Ottawa. Viagra is expected to receive a Drug Information Number some time in March, he added. Of the three steps for getting government approval, medical clearance is usually the biggest hurdle. But before Viagra can be sold in Canada, it still has to be scrutinized by the bureau of pharmaceutical assessment and pass labelling requirements. Viagra , the first pill for erectile dysfunction, became the biggest selling drug in the United States after being introduced a year ago. It's a novel alternative to the pumps, needles, suppositories and other invasive techniques used to stimulate blood flow in the penis needed to achieve and maintain an erection. But its approval in Canada was delayed -- the initial target was the end of December -- because of adverse reactions reported in other countries where Viagra is prescribed, Dr. Heich said. The drug, made by Pfizer, is already available in more than 50 countries. Some Canadian men have managed to get prescriptions filled in the United States. More than 170 deaths worldwide have been linked to Viagra , although there's no conclusive evidence that the pill was to blame. The deaths most commonly involved patients using nitrates, such as nitroglycerine, for heart disease. "There were more and more adverse reactions that had to be considered to get a summary of what is good and bad about it," Dr. Heich said. Canadian researchers have since conducted their own trials, and Ottawa has now given Viagra the medical stamp of approval based on its assessment of whether the drug works, taking into account possible adverse side effects, he added. Don Sancton of Pfizer Canada in Kirkland, Que., said passing medical scrutiny is good news for the approximately three million Canadian men with sexual problems.

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (7104)	2/27/1999 4:56:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 9523

AS SEX AIDS, VIAGRA , HERBS NOT FOR EVERYONE Ann Landers. 02/21/99 Chicago Tribune CHICAGOLAND FINAL; C Page 2 Dear Ann Landers: I'm writing about your response to the 59-year- old man seeking information on impotence. We respectfully believe you got it wrong. Your reply refers to herbal products as providing "very satisfactory" results to people who wish to enhance their sexual performance. Herbal products do not undergo rigorous scientific testing. According to a recent consumer alert by the Federal Trade Commission, no herbal or all-natural substance has been shown to be an effective treatment for impotence. Your column also refers to a Food and Drug Administration announcement that 69 people have died after taking Viagra . Yes, there have been deaths reported among the 4 million patients who have been prescribed Viagra , but no cause-and-effect relationship has been established. Further, your readers should understand that there is a cardiovascular risk associated with sexual activity, and only a physician can determine when -- or even whether -- it is appropriate for a patient to resume sexual relations after a heart attack. As we have always said, Viagra is not for everyone. Joseph M. Feczko, M.D., senior vice president, medical and regulatory operations, Pfizer Inc., New York Dear Mr. Feczko: Your honest appraisal is refreshing, especially since Viagra is one of your biggest sellers. Here's one more: Dear Ann: Is it true that Bob Dole has signed on to be the poster boy for Viagra ? Just Asking Dear Just: I don't know. Ask Elizabeth. Here is the last word from Consumer Alert in Washington, D.C.: If the product being pitched to cure impotence is "herbal" or "all- natural," dismiss it. To date, no herbal or all-natural substance has been proven effective in treating impotence. For a free brochure about impotence, write to the Sexual Function Health Council, American Foundation for Urologic Disease Inc., 1128 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201, or call 1-800-433-4215 (www.impotence.org).