ZANTAC's SHARE OF U.S. H[2] ANTAGONIST MARKET SURPASSES 40% IN FEBRUARY AT RETAIL PHARMACY LEVEL, GLAXO's RUVANE TELLS ANALYSTS; ZINACEF ANNUALIZING AT $60 MIL.

Glaxo's Zantac holds approximately 40% of the H[2] antagonist market in the U.S. as measured by retail pharmacy purchases, Glaxo, Inc. President Joseph Ruvane told analysts at the sixth annual Goldman Sachs Health Care Seminar in NYC on April 9. At the end of fiscal 1984 (ended June 30), "Zantac's share of dollar sales at pharmacy purchase level was 32.9% of the H[2] antagonist market," Ruvane said. "By the end of December 1984, it had climbed to 37.9%." He added that Zantac currently "holds just over 40% of Rx dollar sales and now Rxs continue to rise, albeit at a slower rate." For all of calendar 1984, Glaxo's Zantac had a 28% share of the $620 mil. U.S. H[2] antagonist market, or approximately $170 mil. in sales, Ruvane said. In Glaxo's fiscal year 1984, Zantac U.S. sales totaled $134 mil., he added. Ruvane indicated that Glaxo's U.S. cephalosporin sales were annualizing at $60 mil. by the end of 1984. "Sales of Zinacef (cefuroxime)," Ruvane noted, "have done exceedingly well in the last six months." Ruvane said that at the end of 1984, Glaxo had 1% of the injectable cephalosporin market and .6% of the combined oral and I.V. cephalosporin market, estimated at $1.05 bil. Glaxo To File NDA For Oral Cefuroxime In "Several Months"; Ceftazidime Approval Expected "Soon" Asked where Glaxo's oral cefuroxime is in the pipeline, Ruvane replied that the company is "at an early stage with cefuroxime axetil -- early in the sense that we'll be submitting a document with the FDA in the next several months." Noting that the firm has not yet "addressed the positioning" of the oral product, Ruvane predicted that "as a second generation product [cefuroxime axetil] will certainly have a significant impact in the oral marketplace." In addition, Ruvane predicted that Glaxo's third generation cephalosporin Fortaz (ceftazidime) is expected to be approved by FDA "soon." Both Lilly and SmithKline are also planning to market ceftazidime as well through prior licensing agreements. In the bronchodilator area, Ruvane said that Ventolin (albuterol), has been the U.S. beta-2 agonist market leader since 1981. Ventolin sales were approximately $27 mil. in 1984, a 31% share of the $87 mil. U.S. beta-2 agonist market. Glaxo's Beconase (beclamethasone), "held 22% of a $44 mil. market," Ruvane added, or roughly $10 mil. in 1984. Both albuterol and beclomethasone are co-marketed with Schering. Ruvane pointed out that "with the exception of Beclovent [beclomethasone oral inhaler], Glaxo holds about a 50% share of all compounds in the respiratory market that we co-market with Schering. The combined Glaxo/Schering share of the estimated $480 mil. U.S. respiratory market, Ruvane said, was "about 26%" in 1984, or roughly $125 mil. The Glaxo's exec also reported that the firm is expecting 1985 approvals for Trandide (labetalol/hydrochlorothiazide) and for the dermatological Removate (clobetasol), a topical steroid for psoriasis and other skin disorders. Ruvane said that Removate has been shown "to be clinically more effective in the treatment of psoriasis than any of the high potency steroid products currently available." Ruvane added that Glaxo recently formed a dermatological department to market a full range of Glaxo-developed or licensed skin products.