Here's to Your Health

By Alice Park

DEPRESSION

CYMBALTA Despite Prozac's much heralded introduction in 1987, its ability to adjust serotonin levels in the brain works for only about 30% of depressed patients. Undeterred, Prozac's maker, Eli Lilly, has filed for FDA approval of Cymbalta, an antidepressant that targets not just serotonin but norepinephrine levels as well. The FDA should decide by the end of the year. In tests, patients taking Cymbalta were up to three times as likely to find relief from depression as those taking a placebo.

CHOLESTEROL

CRESTOR Dubbed the superstatin, this newest member of the cholesterol-lowering-drug family reduces blood lipid levels in some cases as much as 60%. The FDA approved Crestor in August, and maker Astra Zeneca plans to have it in pharmacies in the next few months.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

LEVITRA The next Viagras are on their way. In August the FDA gave the green light to Levitra for treating erectile dysfunction after trials showed it enhanced blood flow, significantly improving the ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline will begin distribution in the U.S. this month.

CIALIS By the end of the year, Eli Lilly expects an FDA decision on Cialis, already known as the "weekender" in parts of Europe--where it is approved--for its long-lasting results. Like Viagra and Levitra, Cialis enhances blood flow to the penis, but its effects can endure for up to 36 hours, longer than the few hours that Viagra and Levitra last.

CANCER

ERBITUX Martha Stewart may have still more reason to regret selling her ImClone stock. In June, ImClone reported that its drug Erbitux, in combination with chemotherapy, reduced tumor growth in the colon up to 55%, putting the controversial drug on track for FDA consideration. Erbitux targets cancer cells by blocking their ability to absorb growth factors they need to develop. Trials for treating other tumors, including those in the lung, head and neck, are under way.

AVASTIN Avastin could become the first of a new class of cancer drugs called angiogenesis inhibitors, which tackle tumors by thwarting their ability to create blood vessels. Because Genentech has requested fast-track consideration from the FDA, the agency should decide by early next year whether to approve Avastin for treating colorectal cancer.

PSORIASIS

RAPTIVA For people who suffer from psoriasis, there may be relief--and convenience--in this new drug awaiting FDA approval. With a weekly injection, Genentech's Raptiva prevents certain immune cells from migrating to the skin's surface, where they trigger abnormal growth and create the disease's hallmark lesions.