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

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (7353)	4/6/1999 9:53:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Respond to of 9523

Viagra Lures Men to Doctor's Office Tuesday, April 6, 1999; 5:07 p.m. EDT MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- The benefits of Viagra are extending beyond the pill's ability to restore sexual function in men. A physician at the University of Vermont College of Medicine says that the anti-impotency drug is luring into his office men who usually wouldn't go to see their doctor. As a result, they are getting beneficial treatment that they may have missed out on. ''Quality of life issues for patients are what matter,'' said Dr. Mark Plante, a urologist and assistant professor of surgery. Plante is not keeping records of his Viagra patients, but says there is no doubt that many men looking for the drug are being helped in other ways. In one case, a man who came in for the drug described symptoms that led doctors to discover he had colon cancer.

To: BigKNY3 who wrote (7353)	4/6/1999 11:12:00 PM
From: BigKNY3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Patent scepticism greets arrival of AstraZeneca JILL TREANOR 04/07/99 The Guardian Page 021 AstraZeneca was born by a record A48 billion merger yesterday amid continued concerns about the pharmaceutical group's prospects once its most lucrative patents expire. The merger, the largest between two European companies, was completed as a new report highlighted the growing pressure on European drug companies to merge because they are losing out to the US in the world league tables. AstraZeneca was formed through the merger of Astra of Sweden and Zeneca, the former drugs business of Imperial Chemical Industries, and overtakes Novartis of Switzerland, Merck of the US and Glaxo Wellcome in the UK in terms of prescription drug sales. The company is thought to be devising a new corporate identity under a theme of A to Z, the first letters of the two companies' names. However, research by Jonathan de Pass, an industry expert, concludes that US drug companies are racing ahead of European rivals because they are more successful at inventing and marketing 'lifestyle' drugs such as impotence cure Viagra . Mr de Pass calculates that US firms will be selling at least 20 of the world's top 25 drugs in three years' time, reinforcing the case for more European mergers. He saw 'strong logic' for a marriage between Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham, despite the failure of merger talks last year. AstraZeneca could be one of the losers in the global stakes because patents are due to expire in 2001 on two of the group's most successful products, Astra's ulcer treatment Losec, the world's best-selling drug, and Zeneca's heart formulation Zentril. Concerns about AstraZeneca's prospects once its patents expire was cited as a reason for the 91p fall to 3,037p in the new company's shares on their first day of trading in London yesterday. Tom McKillop, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said the shares had probably fallen on profit-taking. But he acknowledged that doubts lingered in some quarters over the new company's revenue prospects in 2002 and 2003, after the patents on Losec and Zentril expire. He promised to have the company running as a single entity as early as June 1. However, he refuted earlier reports that 6 ,000 jobs would be axed from the combined 54,000 workforce. He also refused to indicate when cuts would be made.