Viagra, the original, is here

Posted AtIndian Express

Move over clones, the original little blue pill is here. On Tuesday, drug major Pfizer will launch Viagra, the wonder drug for erectile dysfunction, in India.

Kewal Handa, managing director of Pfizer Ltd, India, said: "We are launching the original drug, Viagra. There is a huge market in India for sildenafil citrate tablets and we are keeping the original name, Viagra." The pricing, though, is still a closely guarded secret.

At the moment, Viagra is imported and sold through the black-market route. There are several clones as well Zydus Cadila, Sun Pharma and Alchem are selling tablets using sildenafil citrate formulations. The most popular local formulations cost around Rs 80 for a pack of four tablets. Indian Medical Association's R D Dubey said the craze for Viagra peaked in the late 1990s but with so many players cloning the original product, some users lost interest. "Another deterrent was an order from the Drug Controller's office, making it mandatory for these drugs to be sold on prescription," said Dubey. The official website www.viagra.com has a caution note for those who plan to rush to the chemist.

December 16, 2005