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Biotech / Medical : VVUS: VIVUS INC. (NASDAQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RT who wrote (19416)	3/9/1999 7:14:00 AM
From: Zebra 365	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23519

Study shows Viagra does not work well in women WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - Viagra, Pfizer's <PFE.N> blockbuster impotence drug that has transformed the sex lives of millions of men, does not work so well in women, a study published on Friday finds. "We found that there was no significant change either in intercourse satisfaction or in the degree of sexual desire after the patients had taken Viagra for 12 weeks," said Dr. Steven Kaplan, a urologist who heads the clinic at Columbia Presbyterian Center in New York where the study was conducted. "Even though about 25 percent of the patients had some improvement in overall sexual function, that's equal to the placebo response in men receiving Viagra," Kaplan said. "So that response might be a placebo effect rather than a true improvement in sexual function due to the drug." Kaplan's study, published in the journal Urology, is the first published study of Viagra in women, although several others are being conducted. Viagra, known generically as sildenafil, works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, a common body chemical, which in turn gets more blood flowing into the genitals. Doctors have said theoretically it should work the same way for women -- helping sexual function once a person is aroused. Pfizer says seven million prescriptions have been written for Viagra worldwide, which earned the company $788 million last year. 12:51 03-05-99

To: RT who wrote (19416)	3/9/1999 7:16:00 AM
From: Zebra 365	Respond to of 23519

Female Sexual Dysfunction Patent Granted to VIVUS; VIVUS Plans Diversification of R&D MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--March 8, 1999--VIVUS, Inc. (Nasdaq:VVUS) has been issued patent no. 5877216 for the "Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction" by the U.S. Patent Office. This patent provides VIVUS with broad protection for the commercialization of topical formulations of vasodilating agents and steroid hormones for the treatment of sexual dysfunctions effecting women. Therapeutic opportunities include treatments for women with arousal and orgasm dysfunction, the enhancement of vaginal lubrication, and the improvement of vaginal muscle tone. "This important patent underscores VIVUS' commitment to diversify its research and development efforts within urology beyond the treatment of male erectile dysfunction," stated Leland Wilson, President and CEO of VIVUS, Inc. Founded in 1991, VIVUS, Inc. is a leader in the development of advanced therapeutic systems for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, commonly referred to as impotence. VIVUS has pioneered a novel therapy for erectile dysfunction known as the transurethral system for erection. This therapy consists of a proprietary, non-invasive drug delivery system that delivers pharmacologic agents via the urethra. Note to editors and investors: Additional written materials, recent releases and Company information are available through a variety of sources, including the VIVUS home page (www.vivus.com) and the VIVUS Fax-On-Demand Service (1-888-329-5719). CONTACT: VIVUS, Inc. Nina W. Ferrari, 650/934-5200 IR@VIVUS.com

To: RT who wrote (19416)	3/9/1999 7:18:00 AM
From: Zebra 365	Respond to of 23519

Viagra is Not a Cure for All Sexual Problems, Psychopharmacology Update Reports PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Although some physicians are using Viagra to treat the sexual side effects of antidepressant medications, one of the drug's investigators warns against the practice because Viagra has not been studied for that purpose, the March issue of Psychopharmacology Update reports. Ridwan Shabsigh, M.D., a clinical investigator and associate professor of urology at Columbia University says, "If there is no erectile dysfunction, [Viagra] is not an appropriate drug. Whether that will help some other subtypes of patients with certain sexual dysfunctions such as anorgasmia (inability to achieve orgasm), I doubt it. There is simply no data." Other researchers have found Viagra to be effective in a few patients who were taking the antidepressants Zoloft or Prozac for depression or other mental disorders. According to Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D., a sex therapist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and public health at Cornell University Medical Center, sildenafil (the clinical name for Viagra) may be effective for men who are experiencing erectile dysfunction, but not for other sexual side effects such as loss of sex drive. The issue of Viagra use in women is of particular concern since no studies of its effects have been conducted. Though Rosenberg did prescribe Viagra with partial success to a female taking Prozac, he notes, "I encourage the scientific community to go into research using Viagra in women in a controlled, scientific environment." Rosenberg also stated, "I would discourage the off-label use [of Viagra] outside the research environment until further research becomes available." Among his precautions for prescribers, Rosenberg emphasizes the importance of screening patients for other drug therapies and obtaining a sexual history to screen for other possible causes of dysfunction. For the full text of this article, refer to the Manisses Communications Group Web site at: www.manisses.com and click on Story of the Week.