Poor performance of erectile dysfunction drugs in Japanese market
February 06, 2006

Japan represents a very large and relatively untapped erectile dysfunction (ED) therapeutic market. Japan has failed to generate the level of sales that would be expected given ED therapies' track record in other markets and the potential patient population in Japan. Instead of helping alleviate any stigma attached to ED in Japan, manufacturers' campaigns have actually exacerbated the challenge.

The ED market in Japan is currently dominated by the two phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors sildenafil (Pfizer's Viagra) and vardenafil (Bayer's Levitra). Combined sales in 2004 reached $74.3 million, but we believe the Japanese market offers much greater potential. Japan and the United States--countries with similar per capita levels of industrialization and health care expenditure--differ in ED products sales by roughly one order of magnitude. ED drugs Cialis, Viagra and Levitra have proved to be immensely beneficial for millions of ED sufferers.

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