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


To: BigKNY3 who wrote (7151)3/6/1999 9:07:00 AM
From: BigKNY3  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 9523
 
The Peabody Daily Log: 3/06/99

PFE Weekly Highlights:

-The all-time PFE High, PFE High Close, PFE Weekly High Close and pending Peabody Peak were all set on the Friday close, 3/05/99 (136.56)

- PFE volume is still low....no one's selling.

PFE Upcoming Events:

-Monday, 3/8/99: IMS to report the 7th week of Celebrex Rxs and 48th week of Viagra Rxs. Viagra is seeking to start a new Rx streak following a 6.5% decline during the shortened President's holiday week.

-March, 1999: FDA finalizes Tikosyn NDA

-March 26, 1999- FDA Advisory Panel reviews Rezulin

March 27, 1999: Viagra's 1st birthday

-Around 4/14/99: PFE reports 1Qt 98 Earnings

-4/20/99: FDA Advisory panel reviews MRK's Vioxx

-Thursday, 4/22/99: PFE Annual Meeting

-May 1999: AUA Annual Meeting

-6/30/99: Probable effective date of PFE 3-1 split
________________________________________________

# 2 MRK (+12.2% YTD) is benefiting more from the Celebrex launch than MTC (+3.2% YTD).
-Click here for a 5 day comparison among PFE, MRK and the Dow.

quicken.com

#12 WLA now down 8.7% YTD ... held back by concerns over the Rezulin FDA panel meeting (3/26/99). Buy opportunity for the risk-takers. WLA could jumped 5% if Rezulin receives a modest labeling change.
Click here for a 5 year comparison among PFE, WLA and the Dow.

quicken.com

#1 AMGN (+26.5%) has the mo!
Click here for a YTD comparison between Big Pharma leader AMGN and PFE.

quicken.com

Cellar-dweller Glaxo (-10.2% YTD) is still sinking.
A comparison of PFE and the currently most undervalued Big Pharma stock
quicken.com

Have a PFun weekend...the best is yet to come!

BigKNY3

_________________________________________

The Peabody Log

Key: Peabody Peak (Intermediate High)
Peabody Valley (Intermediate Low)
___________________________________________________
PFE PFE PFE
Date Volume High/Ask Low/Bid Close Milestones
03/06/98 4,073,900 86 1/2 84 1/8 86 1/4 Peabody Valley
03/09/98 3,045,600 87 7/16 86 86 7/8
03/10/98 3,151,100 88 5/16 86 9/16 87 7/8
03/11/98 2,884,400 89 1/16 87 3/8 87 1/2
03/12/98 2,188,100 87 7/8 85 15/16 86 1/16
03/13/98 2,602,500 87 1/8 85 13/16 86
03/16/98 3,076,200 88 3/8 86 9/16 88
03/17/98 3,224,600 89 15/16 88 9/16 89 3/8
03/18/98 2,947,900 89 7/8 88 88 1/4
03/19/98 5,683,600 90 3/4 89 90 WSJ article on Viagra
03/20/98 7,463,500 92 13/16 90 1/16 92 1/4 20/20 Viagra Broadcast
03/23/98 8,343,500 97 1/2 95 1/2 96 1/4
03/24/98 5,356,900 96 1/2 94 1/2 95 5/16
03/25/98 5,733,600 96 1/8 92 1/2 94 1/2
03/26/98 3,544,100 95 3/8 93 5/8 94 5/8
03/27/98 7,525,600 97 1/8 93 3/8 95 1/2 Viagra Approved by FDA
03/30/98 7,353,000 98 96 5/8 97 7/8
03/31/98 5,936,300 99 7/8 98 3/8 99 7/8
04/01/98 5,571,900 100 3/8 98 1/4 98 5/8 100 level broken
04/02/98 3,926,800 100 98 15/16 99 1/2
04/03/98 4,165,300 101 3/4 99 11/16 101 11/16
04/06/98 4,869,100 103 3/4 102 1/4 103 1/4 Peabody Peak
04/07/98 4,623,900 103 1/4 99 1/8 100 9/16 Viagra in pharmacies
04/08/98 4,361,600 101 1/2 97 13/16 98 15/16
04/09/98 3,677,700 99 13/16 98 99 1/4
04/10/98 Good Friday..................................................
04/13/98 3,135,100 101 1/16 99 9/16 101
04/14/98 3,083,800 101 1/16 98 1/2 99 1/16 EPS $0.53 (+$0.01)
04/15/98 4,874,800 99 11/16 96 3/8 97 1/2
04/16/98 6,790,300 101 1/8 95 5/16 100 5/8 Peabody Valley
04/17/98 7,448,200 106 1/2 100 5/16 105 1/8 High Viagra Rxs forecasted
04/20/98 10,029,000 113 3/4 109 113 3/8 36M Viagra New Rxs
04/21/98 13,707,300 121 3/4 115 116 1/8 Peabody Peak
04/22/98 10,775,600 117 7/8 111 5/16 114 7/16
04/23/98 7,198,600 116 15/16 113 13/16 115 1/2 PFE Annual meeting
04/24/98 8,321,900 118 1/2 116 1/2 118 Merrill ups EPS
04/27/98 11,935,500 116 7/16 110 9/16 113 7/16 Viagra New Rxs (113M)
04/28/98 7,603,300 116 1/2 112 1/2 113 1/8
04/29/98 5,646,500 113 7/16 111 112 5/8 First Boston downgrade
04/30/98 7,464,200 114 3/8 109 3/8 114
05/01/98 4,880,100 115 3/8 111 3/4 112 11/16 Smith Barney ups target
05/04/98 4,863,200 114 1/2 112 3/8 112 5/8 Viagra Rxs (207M)
05/05/98 5,882,900 112 3/4 109 3/4 111 11/16 AAO V vision
05/06/98 4,292,100 112 3/4 108 11/16 108 3/4
05/07/98 5,328,000 110 104 3/4 106 15/16
05/08/98 4,392,900 111 3/8 107 1/2 111 3/16 Bob Dole in V trials
05/11/98 5,262,500 113 3/4 110 111 Viagra Rxs (279M)
05/12/98 3,895,800 111 15/16 110 1/8 111 7/8
05/13/98 3,248,300 112 3/4 110 1/8 110 1/8
05/14/98 5,065,800 110 5/16 107 1/8 108
05/15/98 6,623,300 108 15/16 104 7/16 104 7/16 Peabody Valley
05/18/98 5,707,100 110 11/16 105 110 1/2 Viagra Rxs (300M)
05/19/98 7,552,000 113 11/16 111 9/16 112 13/16
05/20/98 3,474,200 114 3/16 112 1/8 112 13/16 Peabody Peak
05/21/98 6,291,800 112 13/16 108 1/16 109 1/8 Viagra/Nitro warning
05/22/98 9,702,600 109 7/8 104 105 7/16 V associated with 6 deaths
05/25/98 Memorial Day
05/26/98 6,303,800 106 15/16 103 1/16 103 3/16
05/27/98 6,692,200 108 101 3/8 108 ML maintains buy
05/28/98 4,064,500 107 5/8 105 5/8 106 3/8 PFE supports Viagra
05/29/98 3,741,100 107 15/16 104 1/2 104 13/16 ICOS in news
06/01/98 4,251,100 104 7/8 100 3/8 103 15/16 Peabody Valley
06/02/98 3,138,200 105 7/8 102 1/2 103 3/8 AUA Meeting
06/03/98 2,625,500 104 15/16 102 13/16 103 AUA Meeting
06/04/98 3,698,400 107 5/8 102 3/16 107 AUA Meeting
06/05/98 4,231,500 108 3/4 106 108 3/8
06/08/98 2,809,200 109 13/16 107 1/2 108 7/16
06/09/98 6,319,400 112 7/8 107 3/4 112 1/2 FDA V Release
06/10/98 4,856,200 111 1/8 107 1/16 109 WSJ Drug Interactions
06/11/98 3,273,300 110 3/8 107 107
06/12/98 3,399,500 109 1/2 106 5/8 109 3/8
06/15/98 3,134,700 109 1/4 106 7/8 108 3/8 Dow- 200
06/16/98 3,376,700 110 3/8 108 1/8 109 11/16 Schneider sold
06/17/98 4,463,200 112 11/16 110 1/2 112 1/16
06/18/98 4,147,600 114 15/16 112 3/16 114 1/4 Peabody Peak
06/19/98 5,484,900 114 15/16 109 13/16 111 1/4 Zeldox non-approval
06/22/98 3,177,200 112 3/4 109 13/16 111 7/16
06/23/98 3,961,200 111 15/16 109 1/4 110 3/16
06/24/98 3,736,800 110 3/8 108 3/4 110 1/8
06/25/98 2,878,000 112 1/2 110 1/2 110 13/16
06/26/98 2,635,800 112 5/8 110 5/8 111 15/16
06/29/98 5,244,400 111 1/2 108 1/4 109 15/16
06/30/98 5,190,200 108 3/4 106 5/8 108 1/2 DLJ Switch to WLA
07/01/98 3,857,700 109 15/16 106 5/16 107 3/16
07/02/98 2,740,300 109 1/2 106 9/16 107 1/2 Public Citizen/HMOs
07/03/98 Independence Day Barrons: V to Fade?
07/06/98 4,746,500 109 1/2 105 5/8 109 7/16 Peabody Valley
07/07/98 3,661,200 111 9/16 109 9/16 111 IMS: V to $1 Billion
07/08/98 3,920,100 114 3/16 111 1/8 113 1/2
07/09/98 4,338,600 115 5/8 112 3/4 115 5/8 EPS: $0.47 (+$.03)
07/10/98 8,446,800 118 1/8 113 118
07/13/98 5,540,600 120 5/8 117 15/16 118 11/16
07/14/98 4,130,500 120 9/16 118 1/16 118 9/16 Peabody Peak
07/15/98 3,541,400 118 9/16 115 13/16 116
07/16/98 3,199,300 117 7/8 115 3/16 117 13/16
07/17/98 3,128,700 117 1/4 115 5/8 115 5/8 Viagra lawsuit
07/20/98 2,964,100 118 1/2 115 9/16 117 15/16 V Rxs -13.8%
07/21/98 3,706,300 117 7/8 114 1/16 114 1/8 MRK misses EPS
07/22/98 4,538,100 116 3/4 111 3/8 116 3/8
07/23/98 4,107,100 115 1/2 111 111 5/8 Dow -196
07/24/98 4,877,700 114 3/4 112 113 1/2 Upbeat analysts' meeting
07/27/98 3,643,900 114 13/16 111 5/8 114 V Rxs +5.8%
07/28/98 3,365,500 114 111 111 5/8
07/29/98 3,704,700 112 3/4 109 1/8 109 1/8 Valley strike price reached
07/30/98 2,714,700 112 3/8 109 7/8 112 Dow +112
07/31/98 2,776,900 112 5/8 108 9/16 110 1/16
08/03/98 2,637,600 111 1/8 108 5/8 109 11/16 V Rxs -6.0%
08/04/98 5,248,300 110 3/4 104 3/4 105 Dow -299
08/05/98 4,556,900 106 3/8 102 5/8 105 15/16
08/06/98 3,355,000 106 7/8 104 1/16 105 5/16
08/07/98 4,363,300 105 1/2 102 1/8 103 1/2
08/10/98 3,287,500 105 3/4 103 1/2 103 13/16 ACC/AHA V Initial Report
08/11/98 5,898,100 104 5/16 98 1/2 103 15/16 Peabody Valley
08/12/98 3,858,800 104 15/16 101 1/4 101 15/16 WSJ:-2 V eye patients
08/13/98 3,614,500 104 101 1/2 102
08/14/98 2,680,800 103 1/4 101 1/16 101 3/16 Howmedica Sold
08/17/98 4,645,900 104 7/8 100 3/4 104 5/8 V Rxs +1%
08/18/98 4,349,900 107 9/16 103 7/16 107 1/2
08/19/98 3,343,200 108 15/16 106 3/8 108 15/16 Peabody Peak
08/20/98 3,194,400 108 13/16 105 1/2 105 3/4 Public Citizen V petition
08/21/98 3,887,200 106 1/4 102 1/16 105 7/8 Soros reports $.5B position
08/24/98 4,058,600 108 1/8 104 7/16 104 15/16 Celebrex expedited review
08/25/98 5,241,900 108 5/8 106 106 1/2 EU V Approval
08/26/98 4,242,900 108 7/8 103 5/8 108 1/8 V associated w 69 deaths
08/27/98 4,053,100 107 3/4 103 1/2 103 13/16 Dow -358
08/28/98 4,821,800 104 7/8 100 3/8 101 5/8 Dow-114
08/31/98 8,156,300 102 1/16 93 93 Dow-512
09/01/98 10,640,800 99 92 96 1/2 Peabody Valley
09/02/98 6,494,600 101 5/8 98 3/8 100 1/16
09/03/98 4,944,000 102 1/16 98 99 13/16 NEJM V Letters
09/04/98 9,096,100 96 1/4 93 1/2 95 1/8 Morgan Stanley Downgrade
09/07/98 Labor Day
09/08/98 5,358,100 100 13/16 97 1/16 100 3/4 DJ: +381
09/09/98 4,725,000 101 9/16 98 98 3/16 DJ:-156
09/10/98 4,324,600 97 93 9/16 94 1/2 DJ:-249/Clinton
09/11/98 6,451,300 100 13/16 95 100 1/2 ML supports Pharma
09/14/98 3,675,400 103 5/8 100 3/4 103 1/8 V Rxs +10%
09/15/98 2,603,500 103 7/8 101 1/2 102 9/16 EU V Approval
09/16/98 3,269,200 103 100 1/8 101 1/2 V not on NHS
09/17/98 2,648,100 100 1/16 98 1/4 99 1/4
09/18/98 3,523,400 99 7/8 97 1/4 97 1/4 Lancet V letter
09/21/98 2,869,900 99 1/8 95 97 5/8 Peabody Valley/Clinton Tapes
09/22/98 3,136,700 101 1/2 99 1/4 101 7/16
09/23/98 4,764,800 106 1/2 101 1/2 106 1/2 Dow +257
09/24/98 5,101,800 108 3/4 104 3/8 107 1/2 $5 B Stock Buyback
09/25/98 2,864,400 108 105 3/4 106 5/8
09/28/98 3,235,200 109 3/16 105 1/4 106 1/16 Peabody Peak
09/29/98 3,052,500 108 1/8 105 5/8 106 13/16 Fed reduces rates
09/30/98 3,627,600 108 1/16 105 5/8 105 15/16 DRIP day
10/01/98 3,853,400 104 11/16 99 3/8 99 5/8 Dow-210 LLY/ICOS
10/02/98 4,309,500 100 96 1/2 99 1/16
10/05/98 5,505,700 98 13/16 93 94 5/8 V Rxs -5%
10/06/98 7,462,200 96 11/16 88 1/8 89 3/8
10/07/98 6,766,000 92 15/16 88 3/4 90 5/8 JP Morgan recommends PFE
10/08/98 5,915,200 90 86 89 5/8 Peabody Valley
10/09/98 3,594,400 93 3/4 88 1/2 92 15/16 Dow +167
10/12/98 2,570,700 96 15/16 93 1/16 93 1/4 Peabody Peak
10/13/98 2,567,700 96 3/8 93 1/4 95 1/2 EPS $0.51 -$0.6 from Zachs
10/14/98 11,810,800 97 1/8 88 1/2 96 3/8 Analysts reiterate buys
10/15/98 4,761,600 99 1/4 94 9/16 97 1/2 Dow +330, Fed reduces rates
10/16/98 3,977,600 98 15/16 96 9/16 98 3/16 Dow +117
10/19/98 3,424,500 99 13/16 97 1/16 97 9/16 Analysts reiterate buys
10/20/98 3,921,500 99 95 13/16 96 11/16 VRxs -1%
10/21/98 3,920,700 98 7/16 95 1/2 98
10/22/98 2,490,800 100 3/4 97 5/8 100 3/4
10/23/98 4,549,800 104 1/2 99 11/16 103 13/16 Last <100 day
10/26/98 3,796,000 106 7/8 104 106 1/2 V Rxs -2%
10/27/98 3,278,400 106 7/8 105 7/8 106 5/16
10/28/98 2,459,100 106 3/4 104 5/8 105 11/16
10/29/98 2,600,200 107 3/4 105 3/16 107 5/8
10/30/98 2,742,300 108 1/4 106 5/8 107
11/02/98 3,003,700 108 1/2 106 1/4 108 1/2 V Rxs -3%
11/03/98 2,344,800 109 7/16 107 5/16 109 1/4 Election Day- Dems surprise
11/04/98 4,014,900 110 106 106
11/05/98 2,933,800 107 1/2 105 107 3/8
11/06/98 3,638,600 109 3/4 106 5/8 109 1/2 1998 R&D Meeting
11/09/98 2,728,400 109 11/16 107 108 1/4 V Rxs +2%
11/10/98 3,035,900 109 3/4 106 13/16 108 5/8 ACR Meeting
11/11/98 2,607,400 108 1/2 105 1/2 106 1/16 AHA Meeting
11/12/98 2,126,800 106 1/2 104 104 5/16
11/13/98 1,789,700 105 15/16 104 3/4 105 1/2
11/16/98 2,166,300 108 15/16 106 9/16 108 13/16 V Rxs +5%
11/17/98 3,553,000 111 108 109 1/2
11/18/98 2,749,800 111 5/8 108 9/16 111 3/8
11/19/98 3,245,200 111 3/4 110 1/16 110 9/16
11/20/98 2,412,800 112 110 3/8 112 Dow +104
11/23/98 4,944,800 116 7/8 112 5/16 116 11/16 Dow +215
11/24/98 3,464,100 116 7/8 113 1/2 114
11/25/98 2,520,700 115 3/16 112 5/8 114 3/8 V label revised
11/27/98 Thanksgiving
11/27/98 982,400 115 113 13/16 114
11/30/98 2,183,100 114 11/16 111 5/8 111 15/16 Dow -217
12/01/98 3,179,900 111 15/16 108 5/8 110 15/16
12/02/98 2,743,400 113 1/2 110 7/16 113 1/16 Celebrex FDA panel
12/03/98 2,746,900 114 15/16 110 1/4 110 1/2 Dow -185
12/04/98 2,615,600 113 5/16 110 9/16 112 5/8
12/07/98 2,302,100 115 113 3/4 114 3/8 V refills very strong
12/08/98 2,797,700 116 3/16 114 1/2 116 3/16
12/09/98 3,186,000 117 9/16 115 1/16 116 1/8
12/10/98 2,874,900 117 3/16 113 3/4 114
12/11/98 2,082,800 115 113 1/8 114 7/8 Bob Dole hired for V
12/14/98 2,441,700 113 5/8 111 1/16 111 3/4 Dow -126
12/15/98 2,788,100 115 110 3/16 115
12/16/98 2,495,600 116 1/4 115 1/8 115 3/4 US bombs Iran
12/17/98 2,633,800 117 5/8 115 13/16 116 7/8
12/18/98 3,118,600 116 3/4 115 1/2 116 Clinton impeached
12/21/98 2,834,000 118 1/8 114 1/2 115 1/16 V pending approval in Japan
12/22/98 2,153,100 117 13/16 114 7/8 117 3/16
12/23/98 3,427,500 120 13/16 117 3/4 120 3/8
12/24/98 695,200 120 1/4 118 13/16 119 3/8
12/25/88 Christmas
12/28/98 1,729,300 120 7/16 118 1/2 119 7/16 V Rxs +5.1%
12/29/98 3,813,600 125 5/8 119 1/2 124 3/8 Forbes Company of Year: PFE
12/30/98 2,851,400 126 11/16 123 1/2 126 1/8
12/31/98 2,789,900 128 15/16 125 125 Celebrex Approved
01/04/99 4,407,700 128 15/16 121 13/16 123 3/4
01/05/99 3,592,200 124 5/8 122 1/2 123 7/8
01/06/99 3,148,100 126 13/16 125 1/4 126 5/16
01/07/99 2,750,100 125 3/8 123 7/16 124 1/2
01/08/99 3,779,400 124 5/8 120 1/8 122 1/4
01/11/99 4,895,500 121 9/16 116 3/8 117 11/16 V refills set new high
01/12/99 5,315,700 118 3/8 112 3/4 113 15/16
01/13/99 5,135,700 117 5/8 109 9/16 116 11/16 Peabody Valley
01/14/99 3,118,600 117 1/8 113 113 1/2 Clinton Trial/Brazil
01/15/99 3,165,500 115 3/4 114 1/16 115 11/16
01/18/99 Martin Luther King Day
01/19/99 4,039,500 118 3/8 115 1/8 115 11/16 EPS $0.54 (+$0.02)
01/20/99 3,977,400 120 1/16 116 1/8 119 11/16 Celebrex in pharmacies
01/21/99 3,141,000 121 116 3/8 116 3/8
01/22/99 2,560,000 117 5/8 115 1/16 116 1/8 GPs defy UK V ban
01/25/99 2,694,600 117 15/16 115 5/8 117 5/8 Japan approves V
01/26/99 2,983,000 120 3/8 116 1/2 120 1/4 Positive Celebrex launch
01/27/99 4,624,400 124 121 121 15/16 Hong Kong approves V
01/28/99 4,963,700 127 15/16 121 9/16 127 FDA panel approves Tik.,3-1 split
01/29/99 4,608,800 128 7/8 126 1/4 128 11/16
02/01/99 4,631,300 134 1/4 129 5/8 132 Strong Celebrex Rxs (9.5M)
02/02/99 3,794,400 134 5/8 130 3/8 132 11/16 Peabody Peak
02/03/99 2,897,600 134 7/16 130 3/4 133 1/2
02/04/99 2,655,200 133 3/16 131 131 5/8
02/05/99 2,596,700 131 1/2 129 9/16 130 7/8
02/08/99 2,579,600 132 1/8 129 13/16 131 3/8 Celebrex New Rxs (46M)
02/09/99 2,603,100 130 5/8 125 125 1/8 Peabody Valley
02/10/99 2,891,300 127 15/16 126 126 7/8 WSJ article on Celebrex
02/11/99 2,954,600 132 1/2 128 1/4 132 1/4 PaineWebber: PFE Best Call
02/12/99 3,235,100 133 7/16 128 1/8 130 1/8 Clinton acquitted
02/15/99 Presidents' Day
02/16/99 2,471,500 132 130 3/16 130 13/16 Celebrex New Rxs (91M)
02/17/99 2,212,200 132 7/16 129 5/16 130 Dow -102
02/18/99 2,345,000 132 7/16 125 3/4 131 1/8 Dow +103
02/19/99 2,790,000 129 15/16 127 13/16 128 5/16 ML short-term downgrade
02/22/99 2,677,200 133 13/16 128 5/16 133 Dow +213
02/23/99 2,550,100 134 7/8 131 7/8 133 7/8
02/24/99 2,166,500 134 7/8 132 3/16 132 1/2
02/25/99 2,514,200 132 5/8 129 3/16 130 7/8
02/26/99 2,269,100 132 1/2 129 7/16 131 15/16
03/01/99 1,734,000 133 1/2 130 133 1/8 Celebrex New Rxs (154M)
03/02/99 2,311,000 134 7/8 132 15/16 133
03/03/99 2,102,100 133 13/16 130 7/8 131 9/16
03/04/99 2,843,800 133 11/16 130 7/8 132 3/4 Dow +191
03/05/99 2,772,900 136 9/16 133 13/16 136 9/16 All-time PFE High



To: BigKNY3 who wrote (7151)3/7/1999 6:08:00 PM
From: Mick Mørmøny  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 9523
 
More and more men suing health insurers over Viagra coverage


Four Viagra pills a month just doesn't cut it for David Scholl. So last fall he sued his health plan, QualMed, to get it to pay for more of the anti-impotence drug.

''Nine dollars a pill is expensive,'' said Scholl, a federal judge in Philadelphia. ''And there's something about having to pay to have sex that doesn't seem quite right. At least not to pay that much.''

Scholl, 54, is one of a small, but growing number of American men suing their health insurers for denying or restricting coverage of the Viagra pill.

Most of the largest health maintenance organizations have been sued over their Viagra policies, including Aetna, Humana, Prudential and Kaiser Permanente. While none of the cases has yet to go to trial, judges have usually let the suits proceed over the HMO objections.

In one of the biggest cases, a federal judge in California last month refused Aetna's motion to dismiss a class-action suit that seeks to represent men across the country.

Legal experts say there's more at stake than just Viagra coverage. The cases will help determine whether insurance should pay for so-called ''lifestyle'' treatments that may not be medically necessary.

About 8 million prescriptions for Viagra have been written for more than 4 million men since the breakthrough treatment hit the market a year ago. But, Viagra's cost of $9 to $10 a pill and high demand worries some insurers which are struggling with rising medical costs.

Some health plans, such as Humana and Prudential say their decision not to cover Viagra was based on concerns about its safety. The drug is dangerous when taken by those who also take certain heart drugs such as nitroglycerin. Some older men have died from heart attacks after resuming long dormant sexual lives, although Viagra has not been definitively linked to their deaths.

However, Wall Street analysts presume the real reason insurers won't cover the drug is they're looking to cut costs.

Greg Donaldson, a spokesman for Louisville, Ky.-based Humana, said HMOs have the right to determine which drugs they will pay for. And most plans have labeled Viagra a lifestyle drug, which does little to improve health of most men.

Philip Lentini, 46, of Spring Hill, Fla. sued Humana Inc. last July. He says denying Viagra coverage may be just the start. ''If they decide not to cover Viagra today, what will they decide not to cover tomorrow?''

Lentini says he now only buys Viagra when he can afford it. ''It's not a love potion, but it works beautifully.''