The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 44

D12 Akron Beacon Journal Tuesday, March 7, 2000 www.Ohio.com JPS, union planning more talks Prozac, which helped ease stigma, grows old Prozac use ebbs Prozac is still among the leading antidepressants, but its hold on the market is not as strong as it was five years ago. New prescriptions Wm January 2000 January 1995 Zoloft when new talks would resume, only that management and labor were trying to find mutually agreeable dates. "We've begun the process," Krupa said. Union negotiators did not recommend approval for the proposed contract. As a result, workers shot it down 126-6 Sunday morning, union officials said.

About 170 workers are members of the International Chemical Workers Union Local 1033C at the Merriman Valley plant on Akron-Peninsula Road. The plant makes plastic labels used in packaging. Beacon Journal staff report JPS Packaging management and union representatives are working to clear their calendars to resume contract negotiations, a company official said yesterday. Unionized workers who overwhelmingly rejected a proposed three-year contract Sunday will continue to work under the existing contract, which went into effect in 1998. "The existing contract remains in force," said the plant's human resource manager, Ray Krupa.

He said he did not know New drugs such as Zoloft, Paxil and Celexa have been launched with strong marketing pitches that promised less of the weariness and reduced libido that some patients felt from Prozac. Some of the new drugs have also gained approval to treat a variety of additional problems such as acute shyness and posttraumatic stress syndrome. About 840,000 new Prozac prescriptions were written in January, 7,000 fewer than Zoloft, according to market data firm IMS Health. Although it has fallen on the best-seller list, Prozac last year was still the world's fifth-biggest-selling prescription drug, at $2.6 billion. Its sales are expected to decline steadily in the next three years, as its patent expires and cheaper generics become available.

It also faces pressure from next generation pills, such as Pharmacia Upjohn Inc's Ves-tra, currently awaiting U.S. approval, that's seen as more effective in treating severe depressioa EnviroFest Prozac 14.6 EBSSggBgEgBgaM 19.7 Paxil 1 14.4 Ki 9.6 Wellbutrin SR 0.0 Celexa 1223 6.3 0.0 EffexorXR ESS3S.2 0.0 Arhitriptyline HCL ISJ 3.8 Source IMS Health Associated ftcss "Prozac has had its day, or more accurately, had its decade," said Christine Hollidge, an analyst with Datamonitor in London. and other drugs. Prozac was the first of a new generation of anti-depression drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) that were as effective as older depression drugs, but did not nave many of the nasty side effects such as constipation, memory loss or high blood pressure. SSRIs work by correcting the imbalance of serotonin in the body, a natural chemical that's believed to affect one's mood.

By 1990, Prozac had become the fastest selling new mental illness drug ever a sort of Viagra of its time. Like a Hollywood celebrity, however, Prozac has been attacked by critics and faced intense scrutiny from the media. Some doctors said Prozac caused patients to become more self-destructive, and other critics blamed it for the suicide of 1960s pop music star Del Shannon. The attacks eventually faded, and the pill regained its momentum, even with the approval of several "me too" drugs that acted similarly to Prozac but did not have its past Case of old age Today, Prozac is simply suffering from old age. Its falling market share is seen as a natural part of the product's life cycle.

Few prescription drugs stay at the top of their class for more than five or six years because of the intense competition from other brands and generics. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN THE NEW CENTURY A dynamic one-day event for business and industry featuring: speakers exhibits workshops regulatory updates Tuesday, March 21, 2000 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information on exhibiting or attending, call Martha Miller-Plumb (330) 494-6170, Ext 4261 or visit the Stark State web site: www.stark.cc.oh.us Developed and hosted by Stark State College of Technology Funded by the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Solid Waste Management District Drug losing title in U.S. as No.

1 antidepressant as new alternatives arrive By Phil Galewltz Associated Press NEW YORK: Prozac, the drug that changed the way America thinks about mental illness and became a part of pop culture, is losing its title as the nation's top-selling antidepressant. Demand for the little green capsules has ebbed because of new drugs promising greater effectiveness, fewer side effects and the ability to treat additional ailments. In January, for the first time in years, doctors wrote more new prescriptions for a competing drug, Zoloft. While Prozac remained slightly ahead in total prescriptions, the statistics illustrate its peak is past. Introduced in 1988, Eli Lilly Prozac quickly became a metaphor for society's obsession for quick fixes to problems.

The pills not only helped the depressed, but became known for simply making people feel good. They also helped ease the stigma surrounding mental illness, proving to many that depression is a biological problem, not one caused by a weak character or poor parenting. "It changed my whole life," said Elizabeth Wurtzel, 32, author of Prozac Nation, which described her struggle with depression and experience with Prozac Deal Combined company will own 14 properties Continued from Page D7 MGM executives agreed to the current deal after the stock market closed Friday, and intensive negotiations continued through the weekend on details. The transaction must be approved by Mirage stockholders and is expected to close by the end of the year. Some on Wall Street had speculated that Wynn would play a role in the new company.

Radio Station sales are subject to regulatory approval Continued from Page D7 tor, said yesterday. Clear Channel proposed the sale so government regulators would approve a planned merger with AMFM another prominent broadcast chain. The divestiture is aimed at allaying potential antitrust objections to the pending merger, announced last October. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio company, announced last fall it planned to buy AMFM, the nation's second-largest radio empire, for about $16.6 billion in stock. Executives said they planned to sell 125 radio stations worth about $4.2 billion to head off antitrust concerns from regulators and consumer groups.

The proposed station sales are subject to regulatory approval and are contingent upon the closing of the merger, Clear Channel said in a statement yesterday. 0 a service of the Beacon Journal Your Connection to Wall Street Log on to www.Ohio.com for the latest Business and financial news and much more. Services Include: Financial News and Liformation Office and Personal Technology Store The Associated Press Business Wire Search The Ohio Directory for Corporate Websites Get A Stock Quote Cniirtesv nf-n. Scottsdale Securities Inc. Stock Quoit and Obto.com Financial Neva Sponsored by Scottsdale Securities Inc.

Discount Stock Brokers While he has a hands-on, flashy style, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, MGM's majority stockholder, keeps to the background. Jason Ader, a casino analyst with Bear, Stearns said he'd been told by MGM executives that Wynn would not be involved in the new company. Wynn, 58, owns 23 million shares of Mirage stock, or 12 percent of the company. The deal would bring him $483 million. Shares of Mirage were up $2.69 to $18.56 at 4:30 p.m.

on the New York Stock Exchange, where MGM's stock rose 50 cents to $19.50. Other divestitures are expected to be announced soon. While Clear Channel did not provide purchase prices for each of the proposed sales announced yesterday, Cox Radio Inc. said it was paying $380 million for the seven stations it is acquiring -four stations in Richmond, and three in Houston. Infinity Broadcasting said it is paying $1.4 billion for the 18 stations it is buying.

A spokeswoman for Clear Channel did not immediately return a telephone call from the Associated Press. Clear Channel is creating with its AMFM merger a radio company that will dominate the airwaves nationwide with more than 800 stations after the deal is complete. Last week, Clear Channel announced plans to acquire concert promoter SFX for $2.9 billion in stock. The combined company is keeping the Clear Channel name and headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. Clear Channel also operates 19 television stations and more than 550,000 outdoor advertising displays, including billboards and transit panels around the world.

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