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

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1491)	3/4/1999 3:49:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1722

03/04 15:24 Celebrex on track to beat Viagra as top new drug CHICAGO, March 4 (Reuters) - Prescriptions of G.D. Searle & Co.'s Celebrex continue to gain momentum, nearly assuring that the arthritis drug will top blockbuster impotency treatment Viagra as the most successful new drug launch ever. NDC Health Information Services said Thursday that Celebrex generated more than 102,000 prescriptions on Monday and Tuesday of this week, its seventh week in the market, nearly matching Viagra's prescription rate at a comparable point. But while prescriptions during the launch of Pfizer Inc.'s <PFE.N> Viagra peaked by its fifth week in the market, Celebrex prescriptions continue to surge, said NDC, an independent health care information firm that tracks prescription data. So far, with just over six weeks in the market, Celebrex has generated more than 735,000 prescriptions, NDC said. Pfizer is co-marketing Celebrex with Searle, and results for the sixth week reflect the combined sales force of the two companies. "It seems fairly certain that even if the drug slows from its incredible rapid uptake, Celebrex will be the most successful launch ever tracked by NDC," NDC said. Analysts said the early success of Celebrex is very important for Searle, a unit of Monsanto Co. <MTC.N>, as other drug companies are hot on its heels with their new arthritis treatments. On Wednesday, Abbott Laboratories Inc. <ABT.N> said it signed an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals to co-promote its arthritis drug Mobic in the United States once it is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, probably late this year. And Merck and Co. Inc.'s <MRK.N> Vioxx is to be reviewed by an FDA advisory committee in April, with approval expected this spring. The drugs are part of a new class of Cox-2 inhibitors. They are designed to treat pain and arthritis without the gastrointestinal side effects often seen in aspirin and ibuprofen. Cox-2 drugs inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme that triggers pain, but not the Cox-1 enzyme that protects the lining of the stomach. Searle has said more than 107,000 Americans are hospitalized each year from stomach ulcers and other complications, and as many as 16,500 die. Analysts said that while additional Cox-2 approvals will heat up competition, arthritis sufferers have seen little change in treatment options in more than a decade. U.S. sales of Celebrex alone are now expected to top $1 billion in 1999, which would beat initial estimates. "There is room for a strong third player in that class of drugs," said Sarah Ross, an analyst for Edward Jones, adding that Vioxx and Celebrex will likely hold the top two slots. moneynet.com@NEWS-P1&Index=0&HeadlineURL=../News/NewsHeadlines.asp&DISABLE_FORM=&NAVSVC=News\Company