Pharmacia Joins Forces To Reduce Smoking

Pharmacia Is A Primary Patron At 11th World Conference On Tobacco Or Health

World Leader In Tobacco Dependence Therapies Joins With Other Organizations To Reduce Tobacco Use

CHICAGO, Aug. 7 RNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Pharmacia Corporation, a world leader in the development of tobacco dependence therapies, is a primary patron at the 11th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health, an international summit of more than 4,000 leaders in medicine, health, government, business, advocacy, communications, and education. The goal of the six-day conference that begins here today is to galvanize all segments of society to reduce the use of tobacco around the world.

As a primary patron for the event, Pharmacia will work cooperatively with other pharmaceutical manufacturers to present a symposium on parental and adolescent smoking, and individually present another symposium that examines the progress in treatment with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). The company will also underwrite the daily conference newsletter, support the conference's GLOBALink Cyber Center, and contribute $300,000 to the conference's scholarship program. Throughout the event, Pharmacia representatives from around the world will be at the company's exhibits to answer attendees' questions about the wide range of Pharmacia NRT products.

"As a company dedicated to the research, manufacture, and marketing of Nicotine Replacement Therapy products, we fully support the conference's mission to work collectively to increase awareness of the dangers of tobacco and decrease its use worldwide," said Stephen P. MacMillan, Sector Vice President, Global Specialty Operations, Pharmacia Corporation. "We believe that treatment is vital to reducing tobacco use, and that if treatment is to be successful, you must first understand the individual faces behind the smoke. To better meet these smokers' individual needs, we are continuing to develop and extend our therapies, both in the range of products offered and in their availability around the world." "The support provided by Pharmacia and other committed companies is invaluable in helping us achieve our goals," said Thomas Houston, M.D., co-chair, Executive Committee, World Conference on Tobacco OR Health. "Their combined resources enable us to strengthen and expand our global leadership to increase the number of organizations and individuals engaged in the fight against tobacco. Collectively, we can promote the societal, political, and economic changes necessary to reduce tobacco exposure and use worldwide."

Pharmacia Activities at the Conference

As a primary patron of the conference, Pharmacia will be involved in a number of activities, including:

*The 8 August symposium, "Progress in Treatment with NRT -- Expansion of Choice to Meet Individual Needs." Chaired by John Hughes, MD, of the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Family Practice at the University of Vermont, USA, symposium participants include Jean-Francois Etter, MD of the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Geneva, Switzerland; Yves Martinet, MD of the Federation de Pneumologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy-Brabois in France; J.P. Zellweger, MD of the Policlinique Medical Universitaire in Lausanne, Switzerland; Jonathan Foulds, MD of the Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK; and Christer Wernrud, MD of Vice President of Research & Development for the Consumer Healthcare division of Pharmacia Corporation in Helsingborg, Sweden.

*The joint symposium, "Does Treatment Support Prevention? - Exploring the Links Between Parental and Adolescent Smoking," which will be held 9 August. Presented in conjunction with Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, this symposium will be co- chaired by Steven J. Sherman, PhD of Indiana University, and Laurie Chassin of Arizona State University. Other symposium participants include Peter Boyle, MD of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy; Robin Mermelstein of the University of Illinois-Chicago; Karl Bauman of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and David Sweanor of the Non-Smoker's Rights Association in Ontario, Canada.

*Exclusive sponsorship of the daily conference newsletter, which is distributed to all conference delegates throughout the course of the event.

*Support of the GLOBALink Cyber Center, which utilizes technology to reach and mobilize developing countries with little or no formalized approaches to tobacco control. GLOBALink is a central distribution point by which delegates can disseminate information to others. Its resources include e-mail, Web access, messaging services, notice boards, news dissemination capabilities, and demos on how to access key papers and publications.

*A contribution of $300,000 to the conference's scholarship program. Through this program, selected conference delegates will receive additional training from the world's leading tobacco control experts on how to effectively implement programs within their countries. *An exhibition booth at the conference, at which Pharmacia representatives will distribute information and answer question about the company's NRT products, including the Nicotine gum, patch, inhaler, nasal spray, and sublingual tablet.

About Tobacco Use and the WCTOH

Tobacco is the single most preventable risk to human health, accounting for 3.5 million deaths annually -- one every nine seconds.(1) By the year 2020, it is predicted that tobacco- related deaths annually will exceed deaths from AIDS, auto accidents, murder, suicide, illegal drugs, and alcohol combined.(2) Of the 1.1 billion smokers in the world, 2 approximately 70 percent say they want to quit.(3)

The 11th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health is dedicated to promoting a future without tobacco by building international, regional, national, and local partnerships that are strong and active. During the event, delegates will interact, share information and ideas, and develop and enhance their advocacy networks. The official hosts for the conference are the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Co-sponsoring agencies for the event include the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Cancer Institute.

About Pharmacia Corporation

Pharmacia Corporation (NYSE: PHA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company created through the merger of Pharmacia & Upjohn with Monsanto Company and its G.D. Searle unit. Pharmacia has a broad product portfolio, a robust pipeline of new medicines, and an annual investment of more than $2 billion in pharmaceutical research and development. The Consumer Healthcare division of Pharmacia is a world leader in the development of tobacco dependence therapies, and is the pioneer in innovative nicotine replacement therapy products marketed globally as the Nicorette(R) and Nicotrol(R) gum, patch, inhaler, nasal spray and sublingual tablets.

For full prescribing information, refer to www.nicotrol.com .

References

(1) World Bank Development Practice Series. Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and the Economics of Tobacco Control. 1999. www.worldbank.org/html/extpb/epidemic.htm

(2) World Health Organization. Leave the Pack Behind. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 1999.

(3) New Public Health Service Guideline Calls on Health Professionals to Make Treating Tobacco Dependence a Top Priority. Press Release, June 27, 2000. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/hhssmokpr.htm

SOURCE Pharmacia Corporation

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