Pfizer launches assault on Eli Lilly in antipsychotic drug sector

Pfizer has staked its claim to a slice of the multi-billion dollarmarket for antipsychotic medications with the announcement of data showing that its new drug Geodon (ziprasidone) is as effective as the market leader, Eli Lilly's Zyprexa (olanzapine), but has fewer side effects. Zyprexa achieved sales of $2.4 billion in 2000 and has a market share of more than 30%.

The results of the six-week, head-to-head study, involving 269 patients hospitalized for schizophrenia, suggested that Geodon, which was introduced onto the US market earlier this year (Marketletter February 12), outperformed Zyprexa on several tolerability issues, including weight gain, lipid profiles and insulin levels, according to a Pfizer release. The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in New Orleans.

Patients on Geodon experienced average weight gains of less than one pound, while Zyprexa-treated patients gained more than 10 pounds. In addition, cholesterol and other lipid measurements were unchanged throughout the study for Geodon patients; those on Zyprexa saw their total cholesterol rise an average of 20mg/dL, while their triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein levels also increased significantly. Additionally, insulin levels rose significantly among patients on Zyprexa, but there was no significant change in the Geodon group.