September 30, 2014
By Krystle Vermes, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
In a new 60-second ad, Pfizer aims to educate people on the benefits of Viagra through unlikely candidates -- women. During the commercial, a middle-aged woman reclines on a bed in a tropical setting to discuss the problems that occur when a male is impotent.
“So guys, it’s just you and your honey,” the woman says in the ad. “The setting is perfect. But then erectile dysfunction happens again. Plenty of guys have this issue -- not just getting an erection, but keeping it.”
Pfizer is taking a unique approach to promoting Viagra by having female partners address a problem that affects both members of a couple.
Generic versions of Viagra have been popping up in Europe since the patent for the drug expired there 15 months ago. In three years, the patent will expire in the U.S., which will open the doors for more companies to rival Pfizer with cheaper generic versions of Viagra.
Generic Viagra in China
Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical, a biopharmaceutical company in China, recently received the state production license it needs to start creating sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, according to the New York Times. The company had begun developing the product back in the 1990s, but needed to stop until the Pfizer patent ran out. Chinese companies have been waiting almost two decades for the patent to expire.
Viagra is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor that is commonly prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is typically administered in the form of an oral tablet.
Boosting Sales through the Internet
In 2013, Pfizer began selling Viagra through the Internet, according to the Associated Press. This became a new sale option for consumers who did not want to discuss erectile dysfunction more openly. Although customers still needed a prescription, Pfizer gave individuals another avenue to take in regards to Viagra, and a new way to garner sales.
However, Pfizer is one of many companies that has struggled with other online pharmacies selling counterfeit versions of Viagra and other drugs. By selling the official, patented version of Viagra through its website, Pfizer is reducing the odds of consumers going to other Internet pharmacies to acquire a similar product.
