Third Quarter Conference Calls, In Brief

Pfizer Spiriva production: Boehringer-Ingelheim "has sufficient manufacturing capacity already in Germany" to meet demand for the chronic obstructive pulmonary drug Spiriva (tiotropium) "for out as far as we can see," Pfizer CEO Henry McKinnell tells Oct. 17 conference call. Pfizer will copromote the BI agent, with launch expected in 2002 or 2003. BI's Columbus, Ohio facility "was to come on stream for production in 2005," McKinnell noted. The plant was the subject of an FDA warning letter in July (1"The Pink Sheet" July 30, p. 10)...