Viagra rival Cialis is off to a 'solid start'
Icos prepares to flood market with ads
By JOHN COOK
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Icos Corp. Chairman Paul Clark said yesterday that he was pleased with the U.S. debut of the erectile-dysfunction drug Cialis, although he declined to disclose sales figures for the recently approved product.
"The early prescription data for Cialis shows a solid start," said Clark, who was speaking at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. "However, it is too early to draw conclusions from this very early prescription data."
Cialis, a long-lasting drug that is trying to dethrone market leader Viagra, was approved in the United States on Nov. 21. A day after approval, sales representatives from Icos and joint venture partner Eli Lilly & Co. were meeting with doctors to discuss the benefits. Two days after approval, the company began shipping the drug to more than 40,000 pharmacies.
"The launch execution has been outstanding," said Clark, adding that several thousand physicians have received information about the drug.
Now that doctors have been informed, Clark said the company is getting ready to begin a large-scale consumer-marketing effort. Instead of airing television advertisements immediately after approval, Clark said the company decided to wait for the Food and Drug Administration to approve more detailed advertisements that can tout specific product benefits. Those types of advertisements are more effective in attracting customers, Clark said.
"The advertising will be based on the consumer message that Cialis provides the patient and his partner the freedom to choose the time for intimacy that is right for them," Clark said. Unlike competing drugs such as Viagra and Levitra, Cialis can last up to 36 hours. It also can be taken on a full stomach of fatty foods. Because of its long-lasting effect, Cialis has been dubbed "Le Weekend" pill in France, where it has captured 35 percent of the market in the past 12 months.
In order to attain market share in the United States, Icos plans to flood the market with consumer advertisements in the coming months.
The advertisements will "be exciting, and you will see a lot of them," Clark said. He did not say how much would be spent on the campaign.
Bothell-based Icos, along with Eli Lilly, will hold a private concert in Monaco next month as part of a music series to promote the drug. The companies also are sponsoring the PGA Tour.
In addition to describing the latest Cialis marketing efforts, Clark also talked about new drug candidates. He said Icos plans to begin clinical trials on two experimental drugs this year. Those could relate to psoriasis, cancer, inflammatory diseases or autoimmune diseases.
The company also continues to support studies for RTX -- a drug candidate that may correct a bladder condition known as interstitial cystitis -- and IC485 -- an orally administered drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"We have a robust research engine at Icos," Clark said.
The company plans to conduct a conference call Feb. 3, when more detailed Cialis prescription data will be released.
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