1.  Pharmaceutical analysts said the offer was yet another first for prescription-drug advertising.

2.  Without the recommendations, growth probably would have slowed, said Stephen Scala, a pharmaceutical analyst with SG Cowen in Boston.

3.  However, having a new source of the active ingredient, paclitaxel, is compelling, said Steve Tighe, senior pharmaceutical analyst at Merrill Lynch.

4.  UBS Warburg pharmaceutical analyst Stephen Barker said the industry would likely see more mergers as Japanese firms struggle to find global partners to beef up their product lines.