More worry over ED drug sales

It’s no secret that Cialis won’t post sales like ICOS Corp. had first hoped earlier this year. Sales of the drug are now expected to total about $750 million for 2005.

Now the New York Times looks at the flattening out and even decline in sales of Viagra and its rivals. Be warned, if you’re not registered (it’s free) at the NY Times site, this link may not work: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/business/yourmoney/04impotence.html?pagewanted=print

Key quote: “Both the media and analysts have overstated the size of the market for impotence drugs, said Matt Beebe, United States brand team leader for Cialis, the drug from Eli Lilly and the Icos Corporation that is the only impotence drug whose sales are increasing. The typical user of an impotence drug is a man in his early 60’s who is married and wants to have sex a few times a month, as he has for years, Mr. Beebe said. ‘They don’t want to be turned into a 20-year-old again,’ Mr. Beebe said. ‘They just want to be a man and not have to worry about sexual dysfunction.’

According to IMS Health statistics released Monday, as of mid-November, Cialis held 25.2 percent of the ED drug prescription market, compared to 62.5 percent. Among first-time prescriptions, Cialis held 26.2 percent and Viagra slipped below 60 percent to 59.9 percent.