Viagra Expands The Erectile Dysfunction Market
Business Wire
July 15, 1998, 12:58 ET
Health/Medical/Pharmaceutical Writers
NEWTOWN, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--July 15, 1998--Office-based
physicians reported 3 million visits for erectile dysfunction in the
12 months ending April 1998, according to health care consultants
Scott-Levin.
That represents a 34% increase in the number of patients seeking
treatment for erectile dysfunction from May 1997 to April 1998. Most
of these visits are a result of Viagra, which went on the market in
April.
Scott-Levin data also show that erectile dysfunction patients
requested drug therapy during 45% of the visits, and about 75% of the
patient requests were granted by physicians. Viagra was the therapy
requested most often during the 12 months ending April 1998, followed
by MUSE and Caverject.
According to Scott-Levin's Source Prescription Audit:
-- Urologists wrote the most prescriptions (43%) for erectile
dysfunction therapies in April 1998, followed by primary care
physicians who prescribed 42% of the 659,000 prescriptions
dispensed in that month.
-- During its first month of availability, Viagra gained nearly 95%
of the new prescriptions and 90% of the total prescriptions
dispensed for this market.
-- The Viagra launch arguably could be the most successful in
history, considering the product generated 592,000 prescriptions
in its first month on the market. In comparison to recent
launches, the oral diabetes agent Rezulin produced 78,000
prescriptions in April 1997, the lipid lowering drug Lipitor
generated 139,000 prescriptions in March 1997, and the obesity
drug Redux attained 153,000 prescriptions in June 1996.
-- In the 12 months ending April 1998, U.S. consumers spent $196
million on erectile dysfunction therapies at retail pharmacies.
Managed care plans covered only half of the prescriptions
dispensed for erectile dysfunction therapies in April 1998,
compared to an industry average of 65%. On average, Viagra cost
consumers about $9.30 per tablet in April. Scott-Levin's Source
Prescription Audit Weekly data shows nearly 1.4 million Viagra
prescriptions were dispensed since launch as of the week ending
May 15, 1998.
For more information, please contact Kevin McFadden at
800/982-5613.
Scott-Levin, a division of PMSI/Scott-Levin Inc., provides
consulting and communications services to pharmaceutical companies
worldwide, including market research audits that address every aspect
of pharmaceutical promotion. Visit Scott-Levin on the World Wide Web
at scottlevin.com.
--30--kjs/ix*
CONTACT: Scott-Levin, Newtown
Kevin McFadden, 800/982-5613
215/860-0440
Fax: 215/860-5477
email@scottlevin.com
www.scottlevin.com
KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICINE PHARMACEUTICAL
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