Viagra faces stiff competition

WSOC ^

[Stew Padasso]

Watch Out, Viagra: FDA Approves Similar Drug Levitra Approved By 50 Countries

UPDATED: 10:08 a.m. EDT August 20, 2003

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of a second pill to treat erectile dysfunction.

It's called Levitra and it's in the same family as Viagra. Both work by targeting an enzyme important for maintaining an erection.

"In clinical trials, Levitra was shown to work quickly. More importantly, Levitra was shown to improve the sexual response for the majority of men the first time they took it, and it worked consistently over time," said Dr. Myron Murdock, a Levitra researcher.

Its appearance in pharmacies in the coming weeks is expected to spark a fierce battle in the billion-dollar-plus impotence market.

Roughly 30 million American men have some degree of impotence, but most do not seek medical therapy.

Levitra, produced by Bayer, has recently been selling in Europe and has been approved by 50 countries, according to the company. A third impotence pill -- Cialis -- has also won European approval and is expected to be in U.S. pharmacies later this year.

Like Viagra, Levitra is available only by prescription. It can be taken up to once a day, and it should not be prescribed to men who take nitrate-containing drugs or alpha blockers, which are sometimes prescribed for high blood pressure or prostate symptoms.

[psjones]

Stiff competition, huh, lol.

[putupon]

Levitra, produced by Bayer

Investors should sit up and pay attention.

[nevergore]

I once tried to swallow a Viagra pill...It got stuck in my throat....had a stiff neck for a week.....

Bada-bing...Bada-boom...

NeverGore :^)

[dogbrain]

it's so hard to keep all these new drugs straight.

[ex-Texan]

The drug company that is the first to see their pills below the price of Viagra will end up controlling the market. I have heard the the 'V' pills cost about $ 7 apiece. Somebody ought to sell the new pills for $ 3.50 and make a killing.

Even at $ 3 these pills are too expensive.

[Hank Rearden]

You said "competition". Huhhuhhuh.

[capt. norm]

What an appropriate headline!

[DainBramage]

Good post...Keep it Up

[Lazamataz]

Viagra faces stiff competition

Reporters do that on purpose.

[Lazamataz]

I once tried to swallow a Viagra pill...It got stuck in my throat....had a stiff neck for a week.....

I had a lawyer friend take Viagra once.

He got taller.

[headsonpikes]

I figure that penis spam will increase 30%, at least.

Someone's getting a hard-on over that, for sure.

[kimmie7]

Now that's a headline! lol

[catpuppy]

Even at $ 3 these pills are too expensive

And you have done the research to prove that your opinion is superior to the free market?

[Revolting cat!]

I'd like to have been a fly on the wall of the conference room of Namelab or whatever company came up with the name of this miraculous concoction when the brainstorming session commenced:

Moderator: All right team. We've got a come up with a clever descriptive name that suggests a 'hard on' without really saying 'hard on'. What does the pill do? What does it do to your little elvis? Yes, Mary?
Mary: I don't have a little elvis!
Bruce:(lisping): Oh, what a surprise!
Moderator: Well Mary, think about it being a vibrator with run down batteries, after 11 at night when all 7-11 stores have closed!
Patel: 7-11 stores are now open 24 hours! I know, my uncle runs one!
Moderator: All right then, a plug-in vibrator during a blackout, OK? What does this pill do to a customer's little elvis?
Mary: Makes it big and scary?
Bruce (lisping) Makes it huge and delicious?
Patel: Makes it levitate?
Moderator: Levitate? Uhm, you're onto something Patel...

[Lazamataz]

And you have done the research to prove that your opinion is superior to the free market?

It's not a truly "free" market. Pfizer has a patent on the medication, as they should, and thusly has a monopoly.

[talleyman]

Levitra!

Isn't that a wand-lifting spell used by Harry Potter ?

[Lazamataz]

Moderator: All right team. We've got a come up with a clever descriptive name that suggests a 'hard on' without really saying 'hard on'. What does the pill do?

Laz: Erectovex?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Come on. You can live your entire life without an erection. If you want one, $3 is cheap.

[Mr. Lucky]

I believe Viagra is supposed to be taken as a suppository. At least that's what I think my wife told me.

When Viagra was first introduced, I took home a free sample, showed it to my wife and asked; "do you know what I can do with this?".