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Biotech / Medical : wla(warner lambert) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Captain Jack who wrote (757)	5/19/1999 5:35:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 942

WLA's pipeline from Agouron from a Reuters story: Warner-Lambert, which has said previously it was financially able to grow by buying other drug makers or products, on Monday bought Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. <AGPH.O> -- attracted by the California firm's pipeline of antiviral and AIDS drugs. Warner-Lambert said one of the most compelling products acquired from Agouron was Remune, a killed and altered HIV virus meant to awaken the immune systems of people infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Warner Lambert said Agouron's compounds and its own pipeline would allow strong earnings growth for years to come. Wild said he expected at least eight products in the pipeline to each post eventual sales of $500 million to $1 billion a year, including the antidepressant Igmesine now in Phase II trials and a nasal spray developed by Agouron against the rhinovirus that causes the common cold. Another three products could have future annual sales of over $1 billion, Wild said, including the anticonvulsant Pregabalin now being tested against epilepsy, pain and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and bipolar disease. "I think Warner-Lambert has a terrific pipeline, particularly with the addition of Agouron's compounds. I'd give it a grade of A-minus," said Gruntal & Co analyst David Saks. But Len Jaffe, a drug analyst for Banc of America Securities, said it was far too early to predict whether most of the drugs in the Warner-Lambert pipeline would be approved. "In the short-term, company earnings look like they'll be in great shape because of Lipitor and Neurontin. Longer term, we still have to evaluate because some drugs in the pipeline will fall by the wayside," he said. Pfizer Inc <PFE.N>, which co-markets Lipitor, is obliged under contract terms to allow Warner-Lambert to co-market one or more of Pfizer's own "significant" drugs in future years. Warner-Lambert told analysts it expects to learn within the next few months what the Pfizer product or products would be. moneynet.com@NEWS-P1&Index=0&HeadlineURL=../News/NewsHeadlines.asp&DISABLE_FORM=&NAVSVC=News\Company

To: Captain Jack who wrote (757)	5/19/1999 6:20:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 942

Warner-Lambert sees blockbuster drugs ahead Tuesday May 18, 9:35 pm Eastern Time Ransdell Pierson NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - Warner-Lambert Co. (NYSE:WLA - news) said Tuesday it expects at least eight existing or future prescription medicines in its pipeline to each have eventual annual sales of $500 million to $1 billion, with another three products racking up future annual sales of over $1 billion. The New Jersey drug maker said it had 46 new chemical compounds in development, some which it predicted will become major blockbusters that will enable the company to continue solid earnings growth seen in the last year. It said ''the crown jewel'' of its pipeline is anticonvulsant Pregabalin, which could generate annual revenues of up to $2 billion if it is approved for treatment of epilepsy, pain and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and bipolar disease. The company's head of global pharmaceuticals, Anthony Wild, told analysts at an annual research and development meeting that he expected to file for U.S. marketing approval of Pregabalin within 18 months. Company spokesman Stephen Mock told Reuters that Warner-Lambert would first seek approval of Pregabalin to treat pain, ''with a filing by the second half of 2000.'' Twenty-six studies of Pregabalin are underway or complete, with another 50 planned. Pregabalin is a backup drug to Warner-Lambert's epilepsy drug Neurontin, which loses its U.S. patent protection next year. Wild said other $1 billion-plus drugs will include Lipitor, an anti-cholesterol pill which had sales of $2.2 billion in 1998 and is expected by the company to grow to over $4 billion next year. Wild said Warner-Lambert is also testing Neurontin in combination with Naproxen to treat pain. He added that the combination treatment is likely to garner annual sales of over $1 billion if approved by U.S. regulators. Wild said the following drugs, all in development, are among eight expected to have annual sales of $500 million to $1 billion: * AG7088, a nasal spray to prevent and lessen the effects of the rhinovirus that causes the common cold. The spray is in Phase II trials. * Igmesine, an antidepressant now completing Phase II trials. Results from the trial are expected by early summer. * Avasamibe, to reverse atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries. The first clinical data of eight studies are expected next year. * Zenarestat, for diabetic neuropathy. It is now in two large pivotal trials. * Biobypass, a treatment for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease. It promotes formation of new blood vessels by stimulating a protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). * Oral Calcitonin, a pill for osteoporosis, which is expected to enter Phase III trials in the fourth quarter of 1999. Wild said other promising drugs in the pipeline with annual sales potential of less than $500 million include another osteoporosis drug, FemHRT, which is awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Others include a quinolone antibiotic, Clinafloxacin, also awaiting FDA approval, and the anti-HIV drug AG 1549 developed by Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. Warner-Lambert on Monday bought California-based Agouron in a $2.1 billion stock deal, attracted by Agouron's pipeline of antiviral drugs and products against the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Warner-Lambert said one of the most compelling products acquired from Agouron is REMUNE, a killed and altered virus meant to awaken the immune systems of people infected with HIV. Agouron said earlier this week that it was ending a Phase III trial of REMUNE but would soon initiate another two Phase III trials of the therapeutic vaccine. biz.yahoo.com