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.

[Lazamataz]

Midicnowurk

[strela]

I had a lawyer friend take Viagra once. He got taller.

Probably had to have the necks on all his shirts retailored too.

[pogo101]

(RE naming of the drug)

Overheard at the brainstorming sessions:

"Ramroddia."
"Throbbonia."
"Chamberlaindra."
"Turgidia."
"Tumidra."

[ko_kyi]

Mycoxafalin?

I think you won with this one - congrats

[Lazamataz]

Limpitiz?

[Lazamataz]

SHHH. We are not done yet.

[ko_kyi]

Sorry, do carry on!

[catpuppy]

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

Okay, but I was not referring to the prior state of the market. First as to the remarks I made: The price to which I referred was an artificial one suggested by the poster who stated that the $3 he himself suggested was too high. That implies that he knows the "correct" or "fair" price that one should charge for Viagra or its emerging competitors. Such thinking is akin to that of Gray Davis who "knew" the fair price of energy. Look where that led.

Patent or not, even if Pfizer had a "monopoly," it is soon to be tested by others entering that market thus making it "free." It is this competition and the resulting pricing brought about by market forces that I was addressing.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Coxlimpis?

[Destructor]

Why use Viagra when a transfusion of a small amount of blood taken from Destructor would keep the average man "working" for several months!

[Revolting cat!]

Hotcoxin?

[Lazamataz]

Nodikatol.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Why use Viagra when a transfusion of a small amount of blood taken from Destructor would keep the average man "working" for several months!

So you are going to give blood for the well-being of women everywhere?

[cjshapi]

Whackerwimpus?

[wardaddy]

Yep...3 dollars is damned cheap....compared to all the indirect costs of maintaining a fulfilling sex life over the long haul.....birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, school, college, new cars, mortgages...etc.....and worth every penny mind you.

I have read where all this enzyme oriented erectile dysfunction treatment which are really just specific peripheral vasodialators is really going to be sort of primitive one day. The next generation will be neuroactivators which will cause the man to produce more or at least ample proglastadin(?) which is the actual substance that causes the erection to take place.

An interesting area of medical science...I'm all for it....and I think drugs that would increase female desire or "performance" would be nice as well.

[Protagoras]

Which part gets hard?

Any part will help under normal circumstances. Here is an example of abnormal circumstances. Under which 100000mg wouldn't work.

[Lazamataz]

Coxthrobin.

[Lazamataz]

I think you won with this one - congrats

Comon, I gotta AT LEAST get runners-up for Coxthrobin.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Lottalimpitis?

[Cold Heat]

Allnite-Ican