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CARIBBEAN BUSINESS

3Q Sales Of Locally Produced Drugs Reach $20.1 Billion

Product Sales Remain Strong Despite Strong Competition And Patent Expirations

By MARIALBA MARTINEZ

November 20, 2003
Copyright © 2003 CARIBBEAN BUSINESS. All Rights Reserved.

A CARIBBEAN BUSINESS analysis of the third-quarter (3Q) 2003 sales of Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Eli-Lilly & Co., Merck & Co., Pfizer Inc., Schering-Plough Corp., and Wyeth has calculated that the pharmaceutical manufacturers had combined global revenue of $35.8 billion.

Approximately 56.2%, or $20.1 billion, of the sales came from key products manufactured in Puerto Rico, a 19.6% increase compared with the $16.8 billion in 3Q 2002.

Not surprisingly, Pfizer is at the top of the list, with $8.5 billion in revenue during 3Q 2003. Its closest competitors were Merck ($5.8 billion) and Bristol-Myers Squibb ($5.3 billion).

The Pfizer-Pharmacia Corp. merger yielded strong financial results, with solid growth from products such as Zoloft (27%), Aricept (27%), Glucotrol (25%), and Zyrtec (25%). Pfizer said it has benefited from the integration of Pharmacia products, among them Detrol, Xanax, and Bextra, resulting in a 57% revenue increase in its human-pharmaceutical operations.

Pfizer is the only company with 14 products that are No. 1 in their respective therapeutic categories. The company produces eight of the world’s 25 top-selling medicines, of which seven have more than $1 billion in sales. Pfizer has benefited from its broad range of therapeutic products and the large size of its markets. It has products to treat chronic illnesses affecting large populations, among them Lipitor, Norvasc, Zoloft, Neurontin, and Zithromax. Viagra remains the world’s most recognized pharmaceutical brand, despite recent competition from new products; its sales grew 9% in 3Q 2003.

Pfizer is investigating new medical treatments for its products. The company has more than 200 projects in development, of which more than 100 are product-line extensions (new uses for discovered products). An additional 400 projects are in discovery research.

Sales of Merck’s five best-selling products—Zocor, Fosamax, Cozaar / Hyzaar, Singulair, and Vioxx—collectively increased 9% in 3Q 2003, representing 67% of total sales. While sales of Zocor, a statin used in the treatment of high cholesterol, was affected by patent expirations in several markets outside the U.S., prescription use of the drug in the U.S. increased by approximately 3%.

Fosamax (the most prescribed medicine in the world for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis) and Cozaar / Hyzaar (antihypertensive treatments) were all fortified by U.S. prescription-level growths of 7%, while Singulair (used to treat chronic asthma) had a prescription-level growth was 37%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb remains cautious about its earnings outlook for the next few years because of patents that are to expire beginning in 2004. However, it is optimistic about two new products launched in the past 12 months—Abilify (a schizophrenia treatment) and Reyataz (for HIV / AIDS therapy)—and about Erbitux, an anticancer compound being developed with biotechnology partner ImClone Systems.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has followed the trend in pharmaceutical industry to advertise and otherwise promote its products. It has increased sales, marketing, and administrative expenditures by 15% to $1.1 million and product advertising & promotion expenditures by 24% to $375 million.

With global sales of $4.8 billion in 3Q 2003, up 11.6% from $4.3 billion in 3Q 2002, Abbott is banking on the sales of Humira (for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis) in both the U.S. and Europe. Clinical research is also under way to use Humira for Crohn’s disease and psoriatic arthritis.

Abbott’s biotechnology plant in Puerto Rico should be ready by 2006; it will produce Humira and similar products. Locally produced Depakote, used in the treatment of migraines, seizures, and bipolar disorders, had a sales increase of 15% during 3Q 2003.

Wyeth’s difficulty with its Premarin family of products, after the results of a women’s health study significantly reduced sales of the estrogen-replacement franchise, hasn’t affected its other key products manufactured in Puerto Rico, such as Effexor, Protonix, and Zosyn. Human-pharmaceutical sales for 3Q 2003 were up 11% over 3Q 2002, and total sales were 13% higher.

Eli Lilly boasted strong double-digit sales growth for the third-consecutive quarter, with sales surpassing $3 billion in 3Q 2003 and a robust product pipeline. Zyprexa (to treat schizophrenia and acute bipolar disorder) and Evista (osteoporosis treatment for postmenopausal women), both produced on the island, had 16% and 10% sales growth, respectively, in 3Q 2003.

The company’s biotechnology plant in Carolina is scheduled to start manufacturing Humulin, used in the treatment of Type II diabetes, in 2005. With sales increasing 3% during 3Q 2003, Eli Lilly expects its diabetes-care revenue (Humulin, Humalog, and Actos) to hold stable despite increasing competition.

Amgen, the only 100% biotechnology plant operating in Puerto Rico, maintained steady growth in 3Q 2003, with sales of $2.1 billion, 54% higher than the $1.4 billion in sales posted in the quarter last year. The quarter saw solid performance from all Amgen’s products. Sales of its newest product, Aranesp, increased 286% over 3Q 2002.

The company announced that it has some 40 products in development that cover areas such as oncology, pain control, inflammatory disease, neurodegenerative diseases, control of bone turnover, and the management of metabolic disturbances. In Puerto Rico, Amgen’s Juncos complex is undergoing an $800 million expansion.

Schering-Plough is still trying to recover from three years of regulatory and legal problems. With key products undergoing or facing patent expiration, new chairman & CEO Fred Hassan is asking for time to implement a plan to address the company’s problems. Of the products manufactured in Puerto Rico, only newcomer Zetia, used in the treatment of cholesterol, seems promising.

Global & Puerto Rico Pharmaceutical Drug Sales

Company: 3Q 2003 Sales / 3Q 2002 Sales / % Change / 3Q 2003 Earnings / 3Q 2002 Earnings / % Change

Abbott: 4,846 / 4,341 / 11.6 / 761.2 / 720.1 / 5.7

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Depakote: 245 / 212.7 / 15.2

Synthroid: 176 / 170.5 / 3.2

Biaxin (clarithromycin): 96 / 96 / -

TOTAL $517

Amgen: 2,078 / 1,346 / 54.4 / 713.6 / 436.8 / 63.4

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Epogen: 625.9 / 558.4 / 12.1

Aranesp: 438.3 / 113.7 / 285.5

Enbrel: 341.6 / 158.1 / 116.1

Neupogen: 330.4 / 332.2 / (0.5)

Neulasta: 326.9 / 141.7 / 130.7

TOTAL $2,063

Bristol-Myers Squibb: 5,337 / 4,537 / 17.6 / 884 / 357 / 147.6

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Pravachol: 787 / 677 / 16

Plavix: 694 / 442 / 57

Avapro: 182 / 123 / 48

Glucophage XR: 103 / 90 / 14

Sustiva: 95 / 110 / (14)

Glucovance: 91 / 63 / 44

Zerit: 65 / 120 / (46)

TOTAL $2,017

Eli Lilly: 3,139 / 2,786 / 12.7 / 714.4 / 683.9 / 4.5

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Zyprexa: 1,128 / 974.0 / 16

Evista: 240 / 217.4 / 10

Prozac Family: 154.2 / 189.9 / (19)

TOTAL $1,522

Merck: 5,762 / 5,426 / 6.2 / 1,858 / 1,884 / (1.4)

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Zocor: 1,405 / 1,500 / (2)

Fosamax: 687 / 455 / 51

Cozaar / Hyzaar: 622 / 541 / 15

Vioxx: 510 / 755 / (32)

Proscar: 126 / 148.7 / (15)

Propecia: 59 / 53.1 / 10

TOTAL $3,409

Pfizer: 8,525 / 7,747 / 10 / 4,665 / 1,963 / 137.7

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Lipitor: 2,468 / 2,020 / 22

Norvasc: 1,104 / 963 / 15

Zoloft: 831 / 653 / 27

Neurontin: 698 / 567 /23

Zithromax: 355 / 270 / 31

Alliance Revenue*: 109 / 434 / (75)

Zyrtec: 347 / 278 / 25

Diflucan: 309 / 281 / 10

Accupril-Accuretic: 179 / 162 / 11

Cardura: 152 / 132 / 15

Glucotrol XL: 92 / 74 / 25

Aricept: 67 / 53 / 27

Celebrex: 701 / 27 / 2,496

Relpax: 15 / 8 / 88

Viagra: 476 / 437 / 9

Bextra: 236 / – / –

Detrol-Detrol LA: 211 / – / –

Xanax-Xanax XR: 77 / – / –

TOTAL $8,427

Schering-Plough**: 2,041 / 2,421 / (15.8) / (265) / 429 / (161.8)

Sales of Puerto Rico-Manufactured Key Products

Brand: 3Q 2003 / 3Q 2002 / % Change

Intron Franchise***: 398 / 703 / (43)

Clarinex: 169 / 164 / 3

Zetia: 43 / – / –

TOTAL $610

Wyeth: 4,082 / 3,624 / 12.6 / 426.4 / 1,401 / (69.6)

Effexor: 645.3 / 456 / 41.5

Protonix: 407 / 345 / 17.1

Premarin: 346 / 422.9 / (18.2)

Zosyn-Tazocyn: 173.5 / 99.1 / 75

TOTAL $1,572

Total key-product sales 3Q 2003: $35,810

Total key products manufactured in P.R.: $20,137

% of sales for key products manufactured in P.R.: 56.2%

All sales figures in millions of dollars. Merck, Schering-Plough, and Wyeth were not included in CARIBBEAN BUSINESS 2Q 2003 pharmaceutical sales review (CB Aug. 7).

* Alliance revenue includes Aricept, Spiriva, and Rebif as well as Bextra and Celebrex which are manufactured in P.R.

** Schering-Plough Manati also manufactures the active ingredients for nonsterile products such as Nasonex, Diprolene, and Elocon.

*** Intron franchise includes Intron A, Peg-Intron, and Rebetol (manufactured in P.R.).

This Caribbean Business article appears courtesy of Casiano Communications.
For further information please contact
www.casiano.com

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