Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction (FTC For Release: April 14, 2003)
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30 million men in the United States and half of the male population between the ages of 40 and 70. Approximately 4 million men take prescription drugs to treat ED. The U.S. market for drugs to treat ED is valued at over $1 billion today and is expected to exceed $1.5 billion by 2005 as the population ages and as awareness of the condition increases.
Pfizer dominates the ED market with its well-known product, Viagra. Pfizer has a market share in the United States in excess of 95 percent. Pfizer also has a second-generation Viagra-like product in development for ED. Pharmacia currently has two products in clinical development for ED: IN APO and PNU-142,774.
The FTC alleges that the proposed acquisition would cause significant anticompetitive harm in the U.S. market for drugs to treat ED by eliminating potential competition between Pfizer and Pharmacia.
The consent agreement requires Pharmacia to return all of its rights in one of its products, IN APO, to Nastech Pharmaceutical Company, Inc. and to divest all of its rights and interests for the field of sexual dysfunction in its other product, PNU-142,774, to Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. The agreement contains certain other provisions designed to ensure that the divestitures are successful.
ftc.gov
Edit and add from Q1 report.
D2 Receptor Agonist for Erectile Dysfunction
In the first quarter of 2003, Neurocrine acquired the rights from Pharmacia to develop indications related to male and female sexual dysfunction for PnU 142,774, a selective dopamine D2 receptor agonist. As a condition to the closing of the Pharmacia-Pfizer merger, the Federal Trade Commission required Pharmacia to divest PnU 142,774 to enhance competition in the market for human sexual dysfunction. The compound has demonstrated high intrinsic activity in animal models of sexual dysfunction, and Neurocrine will conduct a Phase II proof of concept clinical study in the area of erectile dysfunction (ED) this year in order to determine its potential efficacy. ED affects nearly 77 million men in the world's seven major pharmaceutical markets, and PDE-5 inhibitors such as Viagra are the only effective oral treatment. PnU 142,774 may offer a more selective mechanism of action and an improved product profile to this currently underserved market. |
