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Redefining the Blockbuster

The blockbuster designation has typically been applied to drugs with sales of 

$1 billion or more a year, typically medicines used by several million people. 

New drugs may make the old definition archaic


Big-Selling Drugs Hitting the Market Now...

                                                     ESTIMATED
DRUG     MALADY            LAUNCHED  COMPANY        ANNUAL SALES**

VIAGRA   Impotence           1998    PFIZER         $10 billion***

LIPITOR  Cholesterol reducer 1997    WARNER-LAMBERT $6 billion
                                      AND PFIZER

ZYPREXA  Schizophrenia       1996    ELI LILLY      $3.6 billion

CELEBRA  Arthritis           1999*   MONSANTO       $3.2 billion
                                      AND PFIZER

VIOXX    Arthritis           1999*   MERCK          $2.4 billion

REZULIN  Diabetes            1997    WARNER-LAMBERT $2.2 billion

EVISTA   Osteoporosis        1998    ELI LILLY      $2.0 billion


...And in the Pipeline

MALADY                TREATMENT

OBESITY               Pills that reduce appetite and
                      speed up metabolism

HEPATITIS             Drugs to fight the growing
                      threat of hepatitis B and C

DEPRESSION            Drugs that block brain
                      chemicals that are a factor
                      in depression and a variety
                      of other psychiatric disorders

INCONTINENCE          Drugs aimed at improving bladder
                      control

MIGRAINE              The next generation treatment,
                      meant to act faster and longer

ANXIETY               Nonaddicting drugs that work
                      like Valium but without the
                      side effects

MEMORY                Drugs that enhance cognition
                      may be useful for Parkinson's
                      and Alzheimer's sufferers


MALADY       COMPANIES                    POTENTIAL USERS

OBESITY      ROCHE HOLDING, BASF,         60 million
             BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB         U.S. adults

HEPATITIS    BRISTOL-MYERS,               360 million
             PFIZER, OTHERS               people worldwide

DEPRESSION   PFIZER, ELI LILLY,           27 million
             BRISTOL-MYERS                U.S. adults
             MERCK

INCONTINENCE ELI LILLY, PFIZER,           120 million
             BRISTOL-MYERS                adults worldwide

MIGRAINE     MERCK, PFIZER, BRISTOL-      25 million
             MYERS, PHARMACIA & UPJOHN    U.S. adults

ANXIETY      PFIZER, NEUROGEN,            10 million
             BRISTOL-MYERS                U.S. adults

MEMORY       PFIZER, MERCK,               7 million
             BRISTOL-MYERS, ELI LILLY     U.S. adults

DATA: SALOMON SMITH BARNEY, BUSINESS WEEK, MERCK, PFIZER,

*Expected launch
**2002
***BUSINESS WEEK ESTIMATE



RELATED ITEMS

VIAGRA: A New Era
COVER IMAGE: Viagra: The New Era of Lifestyle Drugs

TABLE: What's Viagra Worth?

TABLE: Redefining the Blockbuster

THE FORMULA AT PFIZER: DON'T RUN WITH THE CROWD

CHART: Viagra Pays Off for Pfizer Investors

COMMENTARY: IS THIS PRESCRIPTION NECESSARY?

DANGER: READ THE LABEL

TABLE: Have Pen, Will Prescribe

ONLINE ORIGINAL: MERCK: A SLEEPER AMONG THE DRUG STOCKS?


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Updated Apr. 30, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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