Pharmacia Pipeline Promises Future Growth

With the acquisition of Farmitalia Carlo Erba largely behind it (see page 3), Pharmacia is now looking to consolidate its position and focus on the swift commercialization of its near-term pipeline products, as well as increasing its research and development investment to maintain a broad and deep pipeline. With this in mind, the company is raising its R&D expenditure by around 2% to 3.8 billion Swedish kroner ($521 million), or 14.2% of sales, compared to 12.7% of sales in 1993.

Goran Ando, newly appointed to Pharmacia and latterly head of development at Glaxo Group Research, highlighted a line extension for Genotropin (recombinant human growth hormone) as a key factor in the future development of the product, sales of which experienced a 2% decline in 1994 relative to 1993 as a result of price reductions and prescribing restrictions in countries such as Spain, Italy and Australia.

The line extension is for the use of Genotropin in the treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency, reflecting the growing appreciation that the hormone has important metabolic effects beyond puberty. Adult GH deficiency is characterized by cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, impaired psychological wellbeing, and abnormal body composition such as high fat mass, low muscle mass and reduced bone mineral density. Treatment with Genotropin has been shown to have positive effects on these factors and is the first approved replacement therapy for the syndrome in adults, said Dr Ando.