Yes, you have heard it right! The sales of the little blue pill, Viagra, are down. However, Pfizer still maintains and leads the market anyway.
Although the sales go down, the blockbuster Erectile Dysfunction (ED) drug Viagra, also its generic version, leads the ED drug market. Still, Pfizer, the manufacturer of the little blue pill, continues to maintain its lead of ED market share. How?
CNBC reports that 65 percent of ED drug prescriptions were filled from December 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019, which also include the prescriptions filled for its generic formulation.
One of the reasons Pfizer still continue to cash in is that it introduced its own generic formulation of Viagra in December 2017. Its generic version is available in a white pill to differentiate between the generic form and branded form that is available in a patented small blue diamond-shaped tablet.
Several businesses and startups have started selling the generic version of Viagra, including Roman (getroman.com), which initially marketed themselves as a men’s wellness company prior to delivery impotence drugs to home.
Another startup called Hims (forhims.com) also focused on selling Generic Viagra online, along with products for skin care and hair loss. Hims received funding to sell other prescription drugs as well.
Pfizer’s blockbuster drug Viagra is also commonly known by its chemical name Sildenafil, a drug that was actually formulated for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. It was later discovered by scientists during the clinical trials that the drug helps men to attain and sustain erections.
Viagra continues to be a sales blockbuster albeit stiff competition from other ED drugs such as Levitra, Stendra and Cialis. ED affects approximately one in five adult men in the United States. And Viagra helps treat ED by boosting erections in men affected by ED.
