Drugmakers Lilly, Bristol weather patent cliffs

Reuters – 1 hr 20 mins ago (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co beat profit forecasts and vowed to bounce back by 2015 from its steep patent cliff due to cost cutting and new medicines, while rival U.S. drugmaker Bristol-Myers signaled it is weathering its own painful patent expirations as well as expected.

But hopes for 2012 deteriorated at British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, which on Wednesday warned that full-year sales will be flat as pressure on drug prices intensifies in Europe due to government austerity measures aimed at curbing healthcare costs. Its shares fell 1.3 percent.

Lilly Chief Financial Officer Derica Rice said some dozen company drugs now in late-stage trials and many others in mid-stage studies will drive Lilly's comeback.

"We're seeing pieces of the puzzle coming together," Rice said in a conference call with industry analysts. Company earnings plunged 23 percent in the quarter, months after its biggest product --Zyprexa for schizophrenia -- lost U.S. patent protection. The pain intensifies late next year, when $5 billion-a-year depression drug Cymbalta goes generic.

Analysts welcomed Rice's show of confidence but said it was too early to know whether cost-cutting might be a bigger contributor than the introduction of Lilly prescription drugs.

"The key controversy remaining is: Can they really improve margins if the pipeline fails to deliver?" ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum said. "So what if the revenue doesn't grow?"

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co reported lower quarterly sales and earnings as cost-cutting and sales gains for newer drugs only partly offset plunging sales of its Plavix blood clot preventer and Avapro blood-pressure medicine, now facing generic rivals.

Industry analysts said the Bristol-Myers earnings report produced no significant surprises and came in roughly in line with expectations. But they were impressed that the company, whose shares were little changed, was able to reaffirm its 2012 profit view despite Plavix's freefall and a stronger dollar that hurts sales in overseas markets.

Lilly's quarterly earnings handily beat Wall Street forecasts, helped by surging sales of Cymbalta. The company said profit margins should improve after 2014, once the damage from patent expirations on its top drugs has abated.

The Indianapolis drugmaker, whose shares rose almost 3 percent, raised its 2012 profit outlook because the stronger U.S. dollar has reduced the cost of overseas goods used to produce the company's products.

It earned $924 million, or 83 cents per share, compared with $1.2 billion, or $1.07 per share, a year earlier. Excluding special items, the company earned 83 cents per share. Analysts on average expected 77 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Global sales of $5.6 billion were in line with Wall Street expectations of $5.59 billion.

Lilly said it now expected full-year 2012 earnings of $3.30 to $3.40 per share, excluding special items. It had previously forecast $3.15 to $3.30. That would represent a 23 percent decline from 2011 results.

Quarterly global sales of Zyprexa fell 73 percent to $380 million. Sales of Cymbalta, now Lilly's top product, jumped 22 percent to $1.22 billion.

Bristol-Myers said it still expects a full-year 2012 profit, excluding special items, of $1.90 to $2.00 per share. That would reflect a decline of 12 percent to 17 percent from 2011, when Plavix held sway as the world's second-biggest-selling medicine. The pill lost U.S. patent protection in May.

The company reported net earnings of $808 million, or 38 cents per share, down from $1.31 billion, or 52 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.

Excluding special items, Bristol-Myers earned 48 cents per share, in line with analysts' expectations, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Global sales fell 18 percent to $4.44 billion, in line with Wall Street expectations.

Plavix sales fell 60 percent to $741 million in the quarter, while sales of Avapro dropped 53 percent to $117 million.

Many newer drugs did well, including Baraclude, a treatment for hepatitis B infections, whose sales jumped 22 percent to $357 million. Sales of leukemia drug Sprycel rose 26 percent to $244 million.

(Reporting By Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Andrew Hay)

View the Original article

Use Caution When Exercising in Hot Weather

"background-image:url('http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5HmWNdwg8CiO9B0fs9AMOg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTcwO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT04NTt3PTcw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201206301359503753287-p2.jpeg');" width

View the Original article

Red Wine, Weather May Trigger Migraines

"background-image:url('http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/.Ynw7bFFlFnmzgkFoF4iVA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTcwO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT04NTt3PTcw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-06-22T024230Z_1011790890_TB3E86M07ILNM_RTRMADP_3_NBA.JPG');" width

View the Original article

Warm Weather Triggers Early Allergy Season

HealthDay – 1 hr 18 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- While unseasonably warm weather delights many people, those with allergies may not be as thrilled with the early arrival of spring.

Arriving along with those beautiful blooms is plenty of pollen that has hay-fever sufferers sneezing at least a few weeks sooner than normal.

And, in some areas, not only is the season starting early, but the pollen counts are breaking records. Several days ago, Atlanta's pollen count reading was 9,369 particles of pollen per cubic meter, which is 55 percent higher than the old record high set in 1999. Normally, anything above 1,500 is considered high in the Atlanta area, according to the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (ACAAI).

"Tree pollen in some parts of eastern U.S. started in early February, which is about three to four weeks early, and some areas have had record high counts for days and weeks. For the one in four people who has allergies, this is having a cumulative effect. The longer you get exposure, the worse the problem becomes," explained Dr. James Sublett, an allergist and spokesman for the ACAAI.

He said mold counts haven't been high yet, but normally in the winter, mold is gone once the ground freezes. "We've had some mold counts in the moderate range here in Louisville, Ky., and because of the nice weather people are outside more. Again, it's that continuous exposure that makes allergies even worse."

And, humans aren't the only ones enjoying the warmer weather. Ticks and mosquitoes that are normally dormant at this time of the year are already active, according to Richard Ostfeld, a senior scientist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

"Adult ticks have been active all winter long. The warm winter weather changed their behavior, but so far there's no evidence that it's changed their abundance. And, given the mildness of the winter, there could be a better over-winter survival of mosquitoes," Ostfeld said. Plus, he said, mosquitoes may get a jump-start on breeding with the warm weather.

If you normally use flea or tick treatments on your animals, hopefully you've started those treatments. If you haven't, now is the time, according to Ostfeld. And, it's important to be vigilant about checking yourself and children when you come in from outdoors for ticks, he said.

As for dealing with allergies, Sublett said the first line of treatment is over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec. There are also nasal spray antihistamines, as well as topical nasal steroids for the treatment of allergies (most of these are available only by prescription). If you have allergies and asthma, Sublett said that montelukast (Singulair) can help treat both those problems. Singulair is only available by prescription.

Sublett said it's a good idea to visit an allergist so you can find out exactly what you're allergic to, so that you can take steps to avoid those allergens.

If you're allergic to pollen, but love to garden, Sublett said you should wear a mask (with a NIOSH N95 rating) to filter the small particles that you're bound to stir up while gardening or mowing the lawn.

He also recommended keeping your windows closed and using your air conditioner or home heating vent system to filter the air in your home. Sublett said to close the windows in your car and use the recirculated air setting in the car. In addition, be sure to change air conditioning and furnace filters frequently, and use high-efficiency filters with an 11 or 12 rating, he advised.

If you don't have a heating or air conditioning system that can filter your home's air, portable in-room air filters can work well. But, Sublett said, be sure to get one with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter that's large enough for the room you need to clean, and let it run often. He advised against the ionizing type of air cleaners as those can put ozone in the air, which isn't good for those with breathing problems.

More information

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is conducting free asthma and nasal allergy screenings. To locate one in your area, click here.

View the Original article