Viagra Reaches New Milestone - One Million Prescriptions Filled in CanadaVIAGRA REACHES NEW MILESTONE - ONE MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED IN CANADA
| KIRKLAND, Quebec - November 15, 2000 |
Pfizer Canada Inc. today announced that VIAGRA™ (sildenafil
citrate), the first effective oral treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), has
reached the one million prescription mark after 20 months on the market. VIAGRA
was approved in March 1999 and according to recently released IMS data, 998,000
prescriptions for VIAGRA have been filled in Canada up to the end of September
2000. Since the current rate of prescriptions is approximately 50,000 per month,
the one million milestone was reached during October 2000.
"Pfizer is proud
to have been involved in the development of a product that has helped so many
men in Canada," said Jean-Michel Halfon, President and CEO of Pfizer Canada Inc.
"At Pfizer, we are committed to researching and developing innovative products
that meet unfilled patient needs."
Cardiovascular Safety Profile
In conjunction with this milestone, a large scale, independent study recently
released reconfirms VIAGRA's cardiovascular safety profile in men with ED. The
independently conducted observational study of 5,391 men in the UK found no
evidence of increased risk of heart attack or death from ischemic heart disease.
Men in the study had been prescribed VIAGRA in a general practice setting and
had been taking the medicine for an average of five months. VIAGRA was reported
to be effective in 85 per cent of patients. The study did not identify any
safety issues.
"The results of this study are important for us in Canada because they
confirm our own experience that VIAGRA has an excellent safety profile and is
well-tolerated in the wide variety of men who suffer from ED," said Dr. Gerald
Brock, Urologist, St. Joseph's Hospital. "This is good news on the heels of the
one-millionth VIAGRA prescription being filled in Canada."
The average age of men in the study was 57 years (range 18-89); 64 per cent
of men studied were between the ages of 50 and 69. Among the men taking VIAGRA
in the study, the combined incidence of fatal and non-fatal heart attacks were
similar to that occurring in the general population of men of the same age. In
addition, the study also found there were no cases of heart attack, stroke or
death reported during the first month after treatment was prescribed.
Pfizer reported that these findings are consistent with data used to support
the approval of VIAGRA worldwide. Internationally, the database of clinical
trials currently includes 36 double-blind placebo-controlled trials, involving
4,500 men taking VIAGRA and over 3,000 men taking placebo. These trials involved
men of different ages, backgrounds and health status, including men with
pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
Discovered and developed by Pfizer, VIAGRA is the breakthrough treatment for
erectile dysfunction that was approved by the Health Canada in March 1999.
VIAGRA has been approved by regulatory authorities in over 100 countries around
the world and more than 300 million tablets have been dispensed worldwide.
VIAGRA is a prescription medication available only from doctors and should
always be used in accordance with its approved labeling. VIAGRA should not be
taken by patients who use nitrates. The most common side effects of VIAGRA are
headaches, facial flushing and indigestion. Pfizer Inc., the world's largest
pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading
prescription medicines for humans and animals, as well as many of the world's
best-known over-the-counter brands. This year, Pfizer expects global sales of
more than US$30 billion and has a research budget of US$4.7 billion. Pfizer
global headquarters is located in New York, where the company was founded in
1849. In Canada, Pfizer employs approximately 2,300 people. Canadian
headquarters of the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group is in Kirkland,
Quebec.
-30-For more information please contact:
1-866-9Pfizer (1-866-973-4937)
These press releases were issued in Canada and are intended as reference information for Canadians. The information contained in each press release was accurate at the time of issuance, and Pfizer Canada assumes no responsibility for updating the information to reflect subsequent developments. |
