New York, N.Y.-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (AA/Negative/A-1+) has received FDA marketing approval for its anti-psychotic treatment Abilify. Anti-psychotic treatments are estimated to be a $7 billion market, and Abilify appears to have a superior side-effect profile when compared with existing products such as Eli Lilly&Co.'s Zyprexa, Johnson&Johnson's Risperdal, and Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon. While the FDA approval is a positive development, Standard&Poor's said that it does not have an impact on the current ratings and negative outlook on Bristol-Myers. Abilify is especially important to Bristol-Myers given the company's recent difficulty in launching significant new products, such as the cardiovascular treatment Vanlev, that would replace sales of products lost in the past two years
