Pfizer to bring
products from global portfolio
Posted AtBusiness-Standard
Pfizer India intends to align its business
in line with its parent Pfizer Inc. Explaining this
at the launch of Viagra in India here on Thursday, Kewal
Handa, managing director, Pfizer Limited, India, said,
"We would draw drugs from our global portfolio, close
to the international launches and bring in therapeutic
products."
The Indian subsidiary of the pharma major will restructure
its field force in alignment with therapeutic products
in the coming months.
Pfizer, which currently markets around 100 products
in India, would launch products of therapeutic value
in the cardio vascular, oncology, psychiatry, urology
and opthalmology segments in future.
K G Ananthakrishnan, senior director, Pfizer Limited,
India, said, "Viagra would be selectively launched in
top 30 cities on December 26, 2005."
The drug, sildenafil citrate, with serious contraindications
is being launched in select cities as it is structured
to be sold on the prescription of a specialist physician
and not to be abused by uninformed physicians and over
enthusiastic patients, he said.
"We are targeting the andrologists, urologists, psychiatrists,
endocrinologists and venerologists in these cities and
would eventually expand to smaller towns," he said.
There are other generic versions of Viagra in the market,
estimated to be about $1.5 million, said Ananthakrishnan,
adding that the product is being launched with a hologram
of Pfizer on the pack to ensure purchase of original
Viagra.
The drug being imported from France is available in
two doses, 50 mg and 100 mg, priced at Rs 463 and Rs
594 respectively. Viagra so far has been launched in
123 countries and sold over 1.87 billion pills, the
company informed.
December 22, 2005 |
