Pharma Roundup: AstraZeneca's Crestor Success, Pfizer's Chantix Problems, and More

(MoneyWatch)  Highly encouraging results on AZ's Crestor -- AstraZeneca announced the results of its much-discussed Jupiter study at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association. Crestor reduced by 44% the risk of cardiovascular death and heart attacks in at-risk individuals, among other encouraging results. The news could be big for Crestor sales, though CEO David Brennan said it was still too early to predict the effect. At Pharmalot, Ed chatted with a cardiologist and got some insights into the study's significance. Source: PharmaTimes, CNN, Pharmalot]

UK drug regulators echo Chantix suicide concerns -- The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency described 10 suicide victims who were taking Champix, the drug's European equivalent, at the time they died. The agency cautioned that the link was not certain, and that other factors may have been at work. Nevertheless, it isn't good news for Pfizer, considering the drug's track record. [Source: WSJ Health Blog]

OTC drug marketers struggle -- As name brand drug purchases diminish, campaigns for Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol and Proctor & Gamble's DayQuil, among others, are trying to bring in sales by highlighting innovations to their basic products. Name brand OTCs are facing steep competition--and increased marketing--from store brands. [Source: BrandWeek]

Lilly CEO highlights three "gorillas" dogging pharma -- John C. Lechleiter cited pharma's negative reputation (the gorilla is "one ugly dude. He can barely win a beauty contest against tobacco or big oil"), the innovation drought, and tanking stock prices as the industry's greatest concerns. [Source: Exduco, via Corey Nahman]