Hormone Drug Sales Appear to Stabilize

Plunging sales of Wyeth female hormone replacement drugs Prempro and Premarin appear to be stabilizing, with the medicines holding up better than expected in the wake of a landmark study citing Prempro’s health risks, analysts said.

Leerink Swann & Co. analyst Mario Corso said the total combined number of U.S. prescriptions for Prempro and Premarin in the week ending July 26 were 21% lower than the weeks immediately before the study came out, as some patients abandoned the therapies because of health concerns.

Based on current sales trends, Corso predicted combined sales of Prempro and Premarin will dip 10% this year to $1.9 billion before dropping to $1.4 billion in 2003 and $1.3 billion in 2004.