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Report
Big Drug's
Nicotine War
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II -
Pharmaceutical Players
Drug
Companies Involved With
"Cessation" Products
By Wanda
Hamilton - Publication date: July 13,
2001 |
Johnson &
Johnson - Johnson & Johnson - Under
the banner of its subsidiary, McNeil Consumer
Products, J&J markets the Nicotrol nicotine
patch and nicotine inhaler. The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation is the biggest single
shareholder in J&J and began its massive
funding of tobacco control in the U.S. in 1991,
the same year the FDA approved the nicotine patch
as a prescription drug. Pharmacia reacquired the
rights to market the Nicotrol Inhaler in North
America from J&J's McNeil in July 2000.
GlaxoSmithKline
- Pharmaceutical giants Glaxo Wellcome and
SmithKline Beecham merged on December 27, 2000,
making the new company the world's biggest drugs
group by sales. Glaxo Wellcome markets Zyban
(buproprion) and SKB markets Nicoderm CQ
nicotine patch and Nicorette gum. One of
the major holdups in getting FTC approval for the
merger was that both companies sold smoking
cessation products, but even though these
cessation products accounted for less than 4% of
SK's sales, neither company was willing for them
to be sold to another pharmaceutical company to
facilitate the merger. SK was also investigated
by a congressional committee for overpricing of
cancer treatments. SK infuriated the committee by
refusing to hand over information about Kytril,
its anti-nausea drug for chemotheraphy patients.
["Federal smoke delays merger," Andrew
Clark, The Guardian, 10/10/2000].
In 1999, SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare's
combined U.S. sales of Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ
reached $570 million. The company also markets
its nicotine patch under the trade name "NiQuitin
CQ" in Belgium, France, Denmark, Mexico
and Brazil and under "Nicabate"
in Australia and New Zealand, where it was the
number one smoking cessation product in 1999
[Philippe Boucher's Rendez-vous with Leslie A.
Ashburn, Communications Supervisor for
GlaxoSmithKline, 1/29/01].
During the interview,
Ashburn sketches GSK's involvement with
tobacco control:
"Treatment marketers, both
individually and collaboratively, have
continued to pursue involvement with the
broader tobacco control community. Their
involvement has ranged from establishing
and supporting tobacco control programs,
to conducting and disseminating primary
research. Most recently at the 11th World
Conference on Tobacco OR Health in
Chicago, several major pharmaceutical
companies, including GSK, united to
support a variety of initiatives in the
hopes of advancing the important role of
smoking cessation treatment in the U.S.
and international tobacco control policy.
These initiatives include a scholarship
program to support training in tobacco
control, the WHO European Partnership on
Tobacco Dependence, a public service
announcement campaign and a treatment
database, which will house a
comprehensive library of tobacco-related
resources.
"In the United States, GSK has
formed a partnership with the American
Cancer Society to educate the public
about the dangers of tobacco use….
Among the collaborative efforts
undertaken by GSK and the American Cancer
Society is the Great American
Smokeout….[SK also paid ACS $1
million a year for use of the ACS logo in
its ads for Nicoderm CQ].
"Additionally, GSK is a founding
member of The Coalition for World No
Tobacco Day, a non-profit organization
dedicated to raising awareness about
World No Tobacco Day in the United
States. Established by the World Health
Organization in 1988 and observed
annually on May 31st, World No Tobacco
Day is the only event that gives smokers
around the world the opportunity to unite
and halt tobacco use."
Glaxo Wellcome signed on as a partner in
the WHO's global tobacco control program
in late 1998.
"For [Glaxo India] Zyban comes at a
time when it has had a lackluster
financial performance with not many
product launches to prop up the bottom
line.
"Zyban, which is in the top 10 list
of new products for parent firm
GlaxoSmithKline in 2000, is seen by Glaxo
to be a potential 'blockbuster' in India,
which has about 37 million smokers."
["Glaxo brings Zyban to smoke out
addiction," Gauri Kamath, The
Economic Times, 3/14/01].
Glaxo Wellcome sues IMPAX Laboratories,
Inc., over generic versions of bupropion
(Zyban and Wellbutrin). According to
IMPAX Co-CEO Barry Edwards, the suit is a
tactic to extend the exclusive marketing
of the product by Glaxo. "It has
been estimated that in the next few years
branded pharmaceutical companies will
lose patent protection on drugs with over
$25 billion in annual sales…. The
filing of patent-infringement lawsuits is
just one of the tactics these companies
use in an attempt to extend marketing
exclusivity of a product. Therefore,
although we believe this suit is without
merit, we are not surprised by its
filing." ["IMPAX Comments On
Lawsuit Filed by Glaxo Wellcome Related
to Generic Versions of Wellbutrin SR and
Zyban," Company Press Release,
10/10/2000].
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Pharmacia
- (Also Pharmacia & Upjohn). Makes Nicorette
and Nicotrol, "a family of tobacco
dependence therapies." ["About
Pharmacia & Upjohn," company website, as
of 1/15/00]. Pharmacia & Upjohn Consumer
Healthcare "develops, manufactures and sells
safe and efficacious OTC (Over the Counter)
products…. A number of products are also
sold globally. Among the company's largest and
most well-known brands is a line of nicotine
replacement products, including nicotine gum,
transdermal patch, and nasal spray and
inhaler."
Pharmacia & Upjohn are one of three
pharmaceutical "partners" in the WHO
global anti-tobacco project. "Pharmacia
& Upjohn announced a 17 percent increase in
first-quarter earnings Thursday, as U.S. drug
sales soared for its top three medicines….
Sales climbed 12 percent to $1.77 billion from
$1.59 billion a year ago. Pharmacia, which makes
Xanax anti-anxiety medication and Nicorette
smoking cessation products, has completed a
massive turnaround in the past two years"
["Pharmacia & Upjohn Profits Rise, AP,
4/29/99].
"Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc.'s Japanese unit
saw sales of its Nicorette antismoking gum rise
50% in 1998 over a year earlier"
["Sales of Nicorette Gum Make Gains in
Japan," Wall St. Journal, 5/14/99].
"Pharmacia Canada, Inc. and Aventis
Pharma, Inc. today announced the closing of a
transaction whereby Pharmacia acquires the
Canadian Nicotine Replacement Therapy business of
Aventis Pharma. Under the terms of the agreement,
Pharmacia is acquiring the Nicoderm brand
transdermal nicotine patch and re-acquiring the
sales and marketing rights to its Nicorette brand
gum." Pharmacia Corporation is a global
pharmaceutical company created through the merger
of Pharmacia & Upjohn with Monsanto
Company and its G.D. Searle unit.
["Pharmacia Consumer Healthcare acquires
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) business of
Aventis Pharma Inc," Company Press Release,
1/26/01]
"ATP [Advanced Tobacco Products,
Inc./Advanced Therapeutic Products] sold
their patented nicotine technology, which forms
the basis of the Nicorette/Nicotrol Inhaler, to
what is now Pharmacia Corporation, in exchange
for product payments of 3% of Pharmacia's net
sales. In July, Pharmacia announced it had
reacquired the rights to market the Nicotrol
Inhaler in North America from McNeil PPC, Inc., a
unit of Johnson & Johnson. As a result of the
Nicotrol takeback, Pharmacia said it has a
renewed interest in consumer advertising as well
as the professional detailing of doctors and
healthcare providers." ["ATP Announces
Fiscal Year Results, Dividend Payments &
British Medical Study of the Nicotine
Inhaler," Company Press Release, 11/28/2000]
Hoechst Marion Roussel (the
pharmaceutical company of Hoechst) - Manufactures
and markets Nicorette gum and Nicoderm patches in
Canada. "NRT products have been available in
Canada since 1979, and were cleared for
non-prescription sale by Health Canada in 1993
(2mg Nicorette), 1997 (4mg Nicorette) and 1998
(Nicoderm and other patches….'When these
products became more easily available in the U.S.
three years ago, the number of quit attempts
doubled in one year,'" says Tony Ruta,
Hoechst Marion Roussel spokesman. ["Nicotine
therapies critical piece in Ontario tobacco
strategy," Company Press Release, 4/23/99].
Novartis - Maker of the Habitrol
patch in Canada. Novartis Consumer Health Canada,
Inc. ["Habitrol nicotine patch now available
in Ontario without a prescription, Canada
Newswire, 4/23/99].
Novartis is one of the three major pharmaceutical
partners with WHO in the WHO global tobacco
control program.
"Novartis Pharma To Launch Nicotine Patches
in Japan, " NewsEdge, 5/11/99.
"Although the patches are available
over-the-counter in 29 countries, they will
require a doctor's prescription in Japan and will
not be covered by insurance."
Pfizer - Discovers, develops,
manufactures and markets leading prescription
medicines for humans and animals, and many of the
world's best known consumer products. Pfizer had
global revenues of $29.6 billion in 2000. In 2000
Pfizer took over Warner-Lambert. Pfizer is
developing a new agent for smoking cessation,
currently known as CP-526,555, "that
relieves both cravings and withdrawal symptoms
and blocks the reinforcing effect of
smoking." ["Pfizer to Advance Industry
Leadership Through the Best People, Products And
Pipeline, Steere Tells Shareholders,"
Company Press Release, 4/26/01].
Found on the Web
in March 2005 at: http://www.forces.org/evidence/pharma/players.htm
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