After jus six months, Cialis® (tadalafil), the
latest medication for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment on the
market in the U.S., is challenging Viagra® (sildenafil citrate)
for share of the ED market as Cialis leads in new treatment initiations
by urologists and switches from other products for April. Cialis
is marketed by Lilly ICOS LLC, a joint venture between Eli Lilly
and Company and ICOS Corporation. Cialis is the only ED treatment
shown to improve erectile function up to 36 hours in most men. Cialis
can be taken with or without regards to food.Based on data from
IMS, another source of market information, in April, Cialis represented
30 percent of new ED treatment prescriptions written by urologists,
compared to 16 percent for Levitra and 54 percent for Viagra.In
April, nearly two thirds of the men who switched their oral ED treatment
switched to Cialis. The Following information is from ImpactRx™
on the share of new prescriptions written in April by doctors changing
their patients' ED treatment from one product to another.
CIALIS
Primary Care Physicians 60% Urologists 69%
LEVITRA
Primary Care Physicians 36% Urologists 26%
VIAGRA
Primary Care Physicians 4% Urologists 5%
In an independent clinical study, more men selected Cialis as their
preferred treatment of choice after trying different oral ED medications,
the main reason for this was because the length of time it remained
effective. This could explain why many men are switching to Cialis.
Cialis was granted FDA approval for use in the US in late 2003 and
is rapidly capturing a large share of the male impotence drug market.
Cialis is similar to Viagra and Levitra®, in a class of medications
known as PDE-5 inhibitors, which help relax the smooth muscles and
blood vessels in the penis, resulting in a natural erection. Cialis
improved erections in 81% of men who had previously experienced
impotence, with 75% of intercourse attempts successful. |
