Pfizer to buy Encysive for $195M, gains Thelin

World drug giant Pfizer has entered into an agreement to acquire fellow USA-based Encysive Pharmaceuticals, a publicly-held drugmaker whose pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Thelin (sitaxsentan sodium) is sold throughout much of the European Union. Pfizer said it plans to conduct Phase III trials to secure US approval. Encysive expects full-year 2007 turnover of its oral, once-daily endothelin A receptor antagonist of between $10.5 million and $11.5 million and 2008 sales to reach between $40.0 million and $50.0 million.