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Biotech / Medical : Monsanto Co. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jopawa who wrote (1501)	3/5/1999 4:20:00 PM
From: LakesideTrader	Respond to of 2539

Wow, over 3 points today! Now if we can just hang on to this gain.

To: jopawa who wrote (1501)	3/6/1999 11:29:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 2539

IMS HEALTH Reports 228,003 U.S. Celebrex Prescriptions Dispensed in Final Week of February Friday March 5, 6:20 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release Total Prescriptions Written Rise 39 Percent Over Previous Week; Mail-Order Prescriptions Increase 54 Percent LONDON--(BW HealthWire)--March 5, 1999-- IMS HEALTH (NYSE:RX - news) today reported that for the week ending Feb. 26, total prescriptions dispensed for Celebrex in the U.S. were an estimated 228,003, up 39 percent from the previous week. Celebrex mail-order prescriptions totaled 10,447 -- a 54 percent rise from the week ending Feb. 19. Searle's Celebrex is the first in a new class of drugs called Cox-2 inhibitors, used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as osteoarthritis. IMS HEALTH's regular weekly prescription activity report covering the week ending Feb. 26 becomes available on Monday, March 8. IMS HEALTH is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. For the week ending Feb. 19, the majority of physicians dispensing Celebrex continued to be Primary Care Physicians, who wrote 80,942 prescriptions, or 51.3 percent of the total. Orthopedic Surgeons and Rheumatologists prescribed the next largest segment of Celebrex prescriptions, dispensing a combined total of 45,283 prescriptions. The average Celebrex prescription size varies by distribution channel, IMS HEALTH reported. For example, for Celebrex prescriptions dispensed by a chain drugstore or a food store with a pharmacy, the average prescription size is 41 tablets. The size of a typical mail-order prescription for Celebrex is 124 tablets. Since the launch of Celebrex in January, Daypro -- Searle's non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug -- has experienced a decrease in prescription activity. For the week ending Jan. 22, 104,624 prescriptions were written for Daypro; four weeks later, 93,489 Daypro prescriptions were written. IMS HEALTH's weekly prescription tracking service provides comprehensive coverage of three U.S. retail channels -- chain drugstores, independent pharmacies and food stores with pharmacies -- and includes cash and Medicaid prescriptions as well as third-party reimbursement. The service also provides unique access to mail-order prescriptions, making it the most complete market tracking service covering the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. IMS HEALTH is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With more than $1.2 billion in 1998 revenue, IMS HEALTH operates in over 90 countries. IMS HEALTH is the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer information partner, with over 40 years' experience in the industry. Key products and services integral to customer day-to-day operations include: market research for prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products; sales management information to optimize sales force productivity; technology-enabled selling solutions for sales and marketing decision making; and technology systems and information services that support managed care organizations. Additional information and previous press releases are available at the IMS HEALTH website: imshealth.com.