Lilly’s well-planned campaign launches ‘spontaneity’ ED drug
pharmafile | October 24, 2003 | News story | |Â Â Â
Eli Lilly have launched Cialis, the first serious rival to blockbuster erectile dysfunction drug Viagra amid a flurry of media coverage.
The drug has succeeded in generating column inches (and irresistible double entendres) for its UK launch, and has the unique claim of allowing spontaneity to return to the sex lives of ED patients.
Consultant urologist at the Institute of Urology in London Dr David Ralph welcomed the drug saying: "Cialis is an important new treatment for both couples and doctors alike".
"Research shows that it can work in up to four out of five men with erectile dysfunction and that it can remain effective for up to 24 hours, allowing couples time to choose when to have sex."
As global marketers of antidepressant Prozac, Lilly will use their considerable experience in marketing a drug with a strong "lifestyle" profile to challenge Pfizer's dominance in the ED market, with Viagra achieving $1.5 billion sales in 2001.
Viagra's only other challenger to date has been Abbott's Uprima, who have had difficulty making in-roads against the might of Pfizer's formidable salesforce.
Pfizer's $1.5 billion blockbuster Viagra has remained unchallenged as the market leader since it was launched in 1998 but now faces competition from Cialis and GlaxoSmithKline/Bayer's Levitra, which is to be launched later this year.
But Cialis, developed with US biotech Icos Corporation, will now join Viagra on the schedule 11 "grey list" which only allows it to be prescribed on the NHS in a restricted number of cases.






