Edguider Online Blog on ED, viagra, cialis and levitra

Viagra & Levitra Innovate to compete with Generics.

Competition has long been fierce between the three leading erectile dysfunction pills, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis, but with the availability and affordability of generics, and the steadily approaching expiration of patents, the pressure is reaching new heights.

EDGuider News: Brand new chewable version of Viagra Jet GUM?

The American medical giant Pfizer, patent-holder for Viagra for yet another year, has responded to the pressure by coming out with a new soft and chewable erectile dysfunction pill called Viagra Jet. It was released in Mexico earlier this year, in response to surveys indicating that a large portion of Mexican men find the regular Viagra hard to swallow. There is currently only one chewable ED medication that comes from India, called "Chewable Kamagra". However it is not approved for sale in the US.

Bayer comes up with Melt in your mouth Levitra

Bayer, in turn, started selling a new melt-in-your-mouth (Levitra Orodispersible) version of their popular erectile dysfunction medicine, Levitra, in nine European countries. More than just an aid for men who have trouble swallowing tablets, it was aimed towards those who want to be discreet about their erectile difficulties. It even comes in a small black box. "It’s pocket-friendly, discreet and gives the product a playful edge over its competitors," said Thomas Proske, brand manager for Levitra. In other words, it gives Levitra a sleek and sexy brand image.

EDGuider News: Bayer also develops Staxyn  which contains 10mg of Vardenafil HCI

Cialis has enough success with their 36 hour weekend pill

And brand image is important in this new world of erectile aids. Cialis was quite possibly first to realise this. Their famous "weekender" pill, for example, has been sold since 2009 and was designed and marketed as a more potent and long-lasting pill for couples sharing a romantic or sexy weekend together. It did so well for the Cialis brand that the company is steadily increasing its market share, despite not even trying to keep up with the innovations of Pfizer and Bayer.

With the market recently passing $5 billion annually, after a growth of nearly 7% last year, there is much to be gained for these companies by increasing their market share. There is, of course, also the motivation to grow the market. The erectile dysfunction market is far from living up to its full potential. In the UK alone 90% of the men who suffer from some form of erectile dysfunction are currently going untreated.

"A newer product, less expensive, and a new form of taking it – all that might convince more people to try it," said Dr. Joseph P. Alukal, director of reproductive health at New York University School of Medicine. While he did not want to refer to the new variations of well-known drugs as ‘gimmicks’, he did note that brand image is obviously going to be important in increasing both the market and the individual market shares.

Regardless of how many new variations of popular drugs these pharmaceutical giants put out, however, price is going to be an important factor. Generics are still significantly cheaper than brand drugs and some of them offer innovative solutions as well, such as soft tablets and liquid gels. Rumour has it that Bayer will be coping by putting out new variations on Levitra under a different, more competitively priced, brand name in the US. Whether the original little blue pill will come down in price after its patents expire in 2012 remains to be seen.

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