Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Bad press hurts sales of Halcion Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 16:56:27 EST Message-ID: \SE A;MONEY \SS (WS) \HD Bad press hurts sales of Halcion \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT DETROIT DETROIT (AP) - Sales of the sleeping pill Halcion have plunged dramatically since people began claiming the drug induced violence, and last week's jury verdict against Upjohn Co. won't help. Upjohn maintains Halcion is safe and effective when used for short periods of time as recommended. But many insomniacs apparently aren't convinced. "We still have solid support from physicians and pharmacists. But when people go to their physicians and say, 'Don't give me that,' the physician will argue but won't force you to take it," Upjohn spokeswoman Kaye Bennett said from the company's Kalamazoo headquarters. Halcion was Upjohn's No. 2 selling drug as recently as last year, but it has fallen several notches under the onslaught of bad publicity. Sales have dropped from $258 million in 1988 to $101 million so far this year, primarily because of the "unfounded fears and allegations these patients are seeing in these stories," Ms. Bennett said. Company officials and pharmaceutical analysts say the worst impact of last week's verdict in Dallas, whether it stands or not, could be the continued negative publicity. In the first civil trial over the drug's alleged side effects, a Dallas jury ruled Thursday that Upjohn should pay the family of a convicted murderer up to $2.15 million. Attorneys for William Freeman, former assistant police chief of Fort Stockton, Texas, convinced jurors that Halcion altered Freeman's personality and was partly responsible for his 1987 killing of Donnie Hazelwood, his best friend. They claimed Halcion induced amnesia, psychosis and paranoia. Freeman is serving a life prison sentence. Upjohn says it will appeal what it considers a confusing ruling. More than 2,000 cases of adverse reactions, including 49 homicides or attempted homicides, have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration since Halcion's introduction in 1982. Halcion, sold in more than 90 countries, is the world's most widely prescribed sleeping pill. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM