Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Little Gorilla who wrote (7721)	5/21/1999 2:20:00 PM
From: Brander	Respond to of 9523

Not entirely correct. The dosage recommendation of Celebrex for treatment of osteoarthritis is 200mg per day as a single dose or 100mg twice a day. The dosage for rheumatoid arthritis is 100 to 200mg twice a day.

To: Little Gorilla who wrote (7721)	5/21/1999 5:18:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

FDA Okays ‘Super-Aspirin' Vioxx Meant to Fight Pain Without Side-Effects N E W Y O R K, May 21 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Merck & Co. approval to market its long-awaited “super-aspirin” Vioxx to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis and acute general and menstrual pain, the pharmaceutical giant said today. Vioxx will now compete with Monsanto Co.'s Celebrex, the first in a new class of revolutionary drugs designed to battle pain and inflammation without the side effects of aspirin and related drugs such as ibuprofen, which can cause deadly internal bleeding. An estimated 16,000 people a year die from deadly ulcers caused by conventional painkillers, which block the COX-1 enzyme that protects the stomach lining. Similar Pricing to Celebrex New Jersey-based Merck said Vioxx will cost patients between $2.38 and $2.52 per tablet, competitive with the $2.42 price of Celebrex, which was launched in January. Vioxx is expected to be in pharmacies before mid-June. Despite Celebrex's head start and robust sales, Merck has said Vioxx could enjoy a possible marketing advantage over its rival because it is “a true once-a-day drug.” Celebrex is taken once or twice a day for osteoarthritis, the breakdown of joint cartilage from normal wear and tear, and twice a day for rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease caused when the patient's body attacks the joints. Additional Applications Celebrex is not approved for acute chronic pain, such as from dental surgery, which Merck has said could give Vioxx another marketing edge. Merck is counting on Vioxx, expected by analysts to be a multibillion-dollar product within several years, to help the company overcome the loss of U.S. patent protection on five of its key drugs by 2001. Combined 1998 sales from three of those drugs were more than 25 percent of Merck's drug sales last year. Merck said the recommended dose for osteoarthritis is 12.5 milligrams daily, with some patients possibly benefiting from 25 mg daily. For acute pain, the recommended Vioxx dose is 50 mg once daily. Use of Vioxx for more than five days has not been studied. Like Celebrex, Vioxx will carry a label advising patients to be alert for ulceration and bleeding that can occur without warning. abcnews.go.com

To: Little Gorilla who wrote (7721)	5/21/1999 5:24:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

A Bloomberg update: news.com Excerpts: Additional Markets Celebrex also has been approved for sale in eight additional markets since the beginning of 1999: Peru, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Switzerland and Hong Kong. It is awaiting European approval. The FDA gave Merck's drug little, if any, advantage over Celebrex on the prescribing label, said Jeffrey Chaffkin, an analyst with PaineWebber. ''The labels are essentially the same,'' he said. The good news for Merck is that the FDA didn't highlight questions about Vioxx's potential to cause water retention, Chaffkin said. Water retention, or edema, can be a concern for doctors treating elderly patients who already are at higher risk for some heart problems. Still, Merck had hoped its extensive studies would let it say more about Vioxx's apparent lower risk of causing ulcers and irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, Chaffkin said. ''They didn't get as strong a label in the GI as they wanted,'' Chaffkin said. ''Right now, in terms of sheer revenue, I think that Celebrex will always have an advantage.'' Chaffkin estimated peak sales of Celebrex at $2 billion to $3 billion, with Vioxx more likely to sell in the bottom of that range. Single Dose Some analysts see advantages in Merck's drug. While Monsanto's pill can be used once a day, some patients take it twice. Merck's drug is a ''true'' once-a-day pill, analysts have said. ''There may be some cost advantage (to Vioxx); once-daily dosing for Vioxx could be less expensive,'' said CIBC World Markets analyst Steven Gerber. ''At present, we think Merck has the edge.'' Gerber also said the approval is a chance for Merck to showcase its Merck-Medco Managed Care division, which provides pharmaceutical benefit services. ''This is also an interesting opportunity for Merck to use the power of its Medco division,'' Gerber said. ''We think they'll do a very good job with this product.'' To catch up with the team of Pfizer and Monsanto, Merck is likely to use ads directed at consumers as well as the more traditional ones placed in medical journals. It also will probably give out thousands of free Vioxx samples, a tactic Pfizer and Monsanto have used to promote Celebrex. Drug 'War' ''It's going to be war out there,'' said Jack Lafferty, an analyst with U.S. Trust, which holds about 9 million Merck shares, according to regulatory filings. In December, Merck announced that it would hire 700 new U.S. sales representatives, adding to a then-current sales force of about 4,000.