| Eli
Lilly’s Cialis rising to challenge Viagra
March 11, 2004
Eli Lilly is going after the Bt300-million
local market for erectile
dysfunction treatment by pitting its Cialis
against Pfizer’s Viagra,
which has had a total lock on the fast-growing
business up to now.
After receiving Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approval earlier this year, Cialis has
entered the final stages of preparation for
its launch in three to four months into the
market worth Bt378 million – including
counterfeits – and growing at 40 per cent.
Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp and GlaxoSmithKline
are waiting in the wings to jump in with their
Levitra medicine, which has also been passed
by the FDA.
“Like other countries in the region,
about 42 per cent of Thai men aged between 40
and 70 are suffering from erectile dysfunction
problems,” said Khai Meng Ang, Eli Lilly’s
director for Southeast Asia and general manager
for Thailand.
With 16.7 million men in that age range, 42
per cent would translate into seven million
sufferers. More than half of them believe their
problem is treatable and will seek a remedy
if it is affordable and convenient.
Erectile dysfunction affects nearly 90 million
men in all primary markets around the world,
including the United States, France, Germany,
Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and
Brazil. Sales of impotence cures amounted to
US$1.3 billion (Bt51 billion) in 2000 and are
expected to climb to $4 billion by 2008.
US-based Eli
Lilly moved its Southeast Asia headquarters
from Hong Kong to Bangkok in January. Its local
operation employs 130 and achieved sales of
Bt1.5 billion last year.
Southeast Asia contributes about 15 per cent
to Eli Lilly’s total Asian operations,
which are in total worth about $300 million.
“Thailand is the most prominent market
with a strong economy and pharmaceutical market,”
Ang said. “Bangkok is central to Southeast
Asia and convenient for the company to get into
neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Indonesia.”
Eli Lilly ranks 10th among pharmaceutical companies
here. “Our aim is to obtain a top five
ranking in this promising market,” Ang
added.
Thailand is the world’s fastest-growing
pharmaceutical market, reaching annual sales
of more than $1 billion and expected to grow
by 12 per cent this year.
Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
The Nation
source:-http://nationmultimedia.com
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