SAN DIEGO, April 9, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Women First HealthCare, Inc. (Nasdaq:WFHC) today announced it has signed a co-promotion agreement for ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets (estropipate) and Esclim(TM) (estradiol transdermal system) with Essentia Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dutch multinational company Sobel N.V. Under terms of the two-year agreement, effective April 6, 2001, a dedicated 50-member Essentia sales force will detail the products to approximately 16,000 targeted, high-prescribing General and Family Practice (GFP) physicians throughout Essentia territories in the U.S. With a current Women First sales force that totals 60, the agreement will nearly double the national sales effort for both products.
As part of the agreement, Essentia will receive a percentage of sales above an established baseline. Women First will provide product samples, training and promotional materials and retain sole responsibility for all regulatory matters and contractual and other relationships with managed care organizations, formularies, insurers and governmental agencies. The agreement, which may be extended for one year by mutual consent, is subject to termination if certain Essentia sales goals are not met.
"The Essentia agreement is representative of the concerted marketing effort we are putting behind both ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets and Esclim(TM) in 2001," stated Saundra L. Childs, Women First vice president - pharmaceuticals. "There are an estimated 45 million annual office visits to GFPs(1) by women in our target age group of 40+. Essentia offers a significant growth opportunity for us while we remain concentrated on the OB/GYN specialty. We are very pleased Essentia recognizes the therapeutic value of our products and are excited to enter into this collaboration with a company that has a history of success in marketing pharmaceuticals to the midlife and senior market."
Both ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets and Esclim(TM) are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of vasomotor menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets are additionally approved by the FDA for postmenopausal women for the prevention of osteoporosis, estimated to impact the lives of 22 million American women.
(1) 1999 Facts About Family Practice. Table 14: Number of Office
Visits (In Thousands) By Sex and Age of Patient to All Physicians
and Selected Specialties: United States, 1997.
http://www.aafp.org/facts/table14.html, 4/6/01
About Women First HealthCare, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Women First HealthCare, Inc. is a San Diego-based specialty pharmaceutical company. Its mission is to help midlife women make informed choices regarding their health care needs and to provide pharmaceutical and lifestyle products to meet those needs. Women First is specifically targeted to women age 40+ and their clinicians. The Company's Pharmaceutical Division, which includes a nationwide team of experienced sales specialists, contacts primarily OB/GYNs and Nurse Practitioners with estrogen replenishment options-ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets and Esclim(TM) (estradiol transdermal system). The Consumer Business is responsible for Daily Difference(TM) dietary supplements, developed in consultation with Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Company's line of self-care products available through its As We Change(R) national mail order catalog and Internet retailer, www.aswechange.com. Trialogue(TM), the Corporate Marketing Division, is responsible for providing access to Women First's network of opinion leaders and clinicians through strategic marketing programs for sale to major pharmaceutical companies. The Company's business strategy includes the acquisition and licensing of additional prescription products that support its mission. Further information about Women First can be found online at www.womenfirst.com.
The most commonly reported side effects of ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets and Esclim(TM) are those typical of estrogen replenishment therapy: breast tenderness, headache, nausea and abdominal pain. Estrogens have been reported to increase the risk of endometrial carcinoma in postmenopausal women. Estrogens are contraindicated in patients with known or suspected pregnancy, undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding, known or suspected breast cancer, known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia, or active thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders. For more information about these products or to see the package insert, please visit www.womenfirst.com, Rx Products area.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, and Women First HealthCare, Inc. cautions you that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance. Women First HealthCare, Inc. disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including (i) we have incurred significant losses since we were founded in November 1996, and if midlife women do not use, and their clinicians do not recommend, the products we offer, we will continue to experience significant losses; (ii) there is a limited market awareness of our company and the products and services we offer; (iii) we may need additional financing in 2001 to fund our operations, acquire new products, and make planned capital expenditures, which financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all; (iv) we may not be able to identify appropriate licensing, co-promotion or acquisition candidates in the future or to take advantage of the opportunities we identify; (v) we are obligated to find replacement sources of supply of ORTHO-EST(R) Tablets before April 2002, and if we fail to do so we will be required to pay significantly higher prices for product acquired from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical; (vi) we and our products face significant competition; (vii) if we do not successfully manage any growth we experience, we may experience increased expenses without corresponding revenue increases; (viii) we are dependent on single sources of supply for all of the products we offer; and (ix) additional factors set forth in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2000.