Pfizer's Smoking Cessation Treatment, Chantix, Emerges as the Number One Most Frequently Searched Prescription Brand

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOR) , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a listing of the 20 most commonly searched health conditions as well as the 15 most commonly searched prescription brands in February 2008. The results, from comScore's custom search capability, revealed that the terms "pregnancy" and "cancer" were the two most frequently searched conditions, garnering 8.8 million and 7.7 million search queries respectively. That five of the 20 conditions (herpes, HIV, HPV, menopause and pregnancy) relate to sexual or reproductive health may be a function of these conditions' highly personal nature and the anonymity the Internet provides.

  Most Commonly Searched Health Conditions
  February 2008
  Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
  Source: comScore, Inc.

   Search Term     Search Queries
                        (000)

  Pregnancy            8,841
  Cancer               7,718
  Flu                  1,824
  Depression           1,807
  Diabetes             1,758
  Addiction            1,407
  Herpes               1,340
  HIV                    976
  Anxiety                910
  Stroke                 872
  HPV                    861
  Bipolar                861
  Cholesterol            816
  Headache               763
  Menopause              667
  Hepatitis              614
  Arthritis              600
  ADHD                   573
  Asthma                 569
  Fibromyalgia           551

"It's not too surprising that some of the most common health conditions, such as diabetes, depression and flu, have made the list, but it's interesting that these terms generate fewer searches than significantly less prevalent conditions like cancer and pregnancy. A reason for this may be due to life-changing nature of a cancer diagnosis or a pregnancy," said Carolina Petrini, comScore senior vice president. "When facing a serious illness like cancer or after becoming pregnant or considering pregnancy, consumers often turn to the Internet to search for information and educate themselves in a private setting. comScore's findings, along with information about the search popularity of branded terms provide meaningful insights into the ways consumers use search to find health information online."

Chantix Reigns as the Most Frequently Searched Brand but Depression Drugs Dominate List.

The study also looked at the top 15 most commonly searched prescription brand name treatments and found that Pfizer's Chantix, a smoking cessation treatment, topped the list, generating more than 500,000 search queries in February 2008. Adderall (a commonly prescribed ADHD treatment) and Viagra (a popular erectile dysfunction treatment) came in a close second and third on the list, respectively.

Additionally, four of the fifteen most frequently searched prescription brands -- Cymbalta, Effexor, Lexapro, and Prozac -- are depression treatments. For patients seeking information about this highly personal condition, the Internet provides an ideal channel.

  Most Commonly Searched Prescription Brands
  February 2008
  Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
  Source: comScore, Inc.

   Brand Name    Search Queries
                     (000)

  Chantix             507
  Adderall            469
  Viagra              348
  Ambien              334
  Lexapro             274
  Effexor             264
  Cymbalta            235
  Lyrica              233
  Seroquel            198
  Lipitor             181
  Prozac              174
  Cialis              120
  Paxil               119
  Crestor             119
  Singulair           114



  Additional Insights:

  -- The top searched health condition, "pregnancy," is searched 17 times
     more often than the most popularly searched brand name, "Chantix."
  -- The second most searched term, "cancer," garnered 7.7 million search
     queries in February. Of those queries, 1 million were specific to the
     term "breast cancer."
  -- The number of searches for ADHD (573,000) was very similar to the
     number of searches for the ADHD treatment, Adderall (469,000). Because
     the popularity of condition versus brand searches differs based on
     condition, this data supports the need for marketers to evaluate their
     therapeutic area's online search landscape so they can properly
     allocate resources toward strategic, non-branded and branded search
     campaigns.
  -- A condition's prevalence is not necessarily correlated to its search
     popularity. For instance, according to data from the American Diabetes
     Association and the National Institute of Health, there are several
     million more people living in the United States with diabetes than with
     cancer. However, the number of search queries for the term "cancer"
     (7.7 million) was more than four times the number of search queries for
     the term "diabetes" (1.8 million).
  -- A comparison of the search terms "pregnancy" (which garnered 8.8
     million searches) and "cholesterol" (which garnered less than a million
     searches) revealed a similar discrepancy. In the United States,
     approximately 4 million women a year give birth (as reported by the
     American Pregnancy Association), while nearly 40 million people suffer
     from high cholesterol (as reported by the American Heart Association).
  -- Historically, awareness of Fibromyalgia -- which was the twentieth most
     popularly searched health condition -- has been low and resources have
     been scarce. However, searches for the treatment have likely grown in
     the past couple of months due to the recent approval of Pfizer's Lyrica
     as a treatment for the condition. The relatively large number of
     searches for Fibromyalgia, is likely a result of marketing around
     Lyrica which has helped to raise awareness of the condition.

About comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions

comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions delivers in-depth information needed to understand the impact that brand, condition-specific, and health portal Web sites have on consumers' brand awareness, conversion, and patient compliance. comScore's products deliver actionable insight to help refine consumer profiles, identify key alliances, optimize interactive marketing initiatives, benchmark against the competition and accurately measure the ROI of Web site and online marketing programs.

To learn more about comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions, visit http://www.comscore.com/solutions/pharma.asp.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. For more information, visit http://www.comscore.com/boilerplate.

Source: comScore, Inc.

Web site: http://www.comscore.com/