Mexican men who have difficulty swallowing Viagra tablets will soon be able to have a chewable version of Viagra. It is known as Viagra Jet, and was developed over four years in Mexico, where Pfizer will start selling it on March 21.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company said on Thursday that the chewable form of the 13-year-old tablet was developed in response to studies of the Mexican market, which is Viagra‘s biggest in Latin America after Brazil.
“It’s a new alternative for patients and doctors,” said Beatriz Romero, Pfizer’s marketing manager in Mexico. “The chewable format could appeal to patients, particularly those who can’t swallow the tablets.”
Pfizer said studies have shown that as many as 60 percent of people grind tablets or open capsules to make the contents easier to ingest. About 6 million Mexican men suffer from impotence, according to a 2001 study published in the medical journal Revista Mexicana Urologia. Pfizer said it estimates that 1 million of them receive treatment.
Pfizer has reported that it sells around 3 million Viagra pills a year in Mexico alone. According to research firm IMS Health, Viagra has about one third of the market share in Latin America’s second biggest economy.
Viagra Jet is only available in Mexico, but the company may introduce it to other Latin American countries, depending upon local regulatory approval, Pfizer spokeswoman Karla Fuentes said.
The development of Viagra Jet will not extend the drug’s patent life beyond its 2012 expiration, Pfizer said. A number of the company’s patents are due to expire over the next few years, and it has said that it would drastically reduce its research budget to shrink operations.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company said on Thursday that the chewable form of the 13-year-old tablet was developed in response to studies of the Mexican market, which is Viagra‘s biggest in Latin America after Brazil.
“It’s a new alternative for patients and doctors,” said Beatriz Romero, Pfizer’s marketing manager in Mexico. “The chewable format could appeal to patients, particularly those who can’t swallow the tablets.”
Pfizer said studies have shown that as many as 60 percent of people grind tablets or open capsules to make the contents easier to ingest. About 6 million Mexican men suffer from impotence, according to a 2001 study published in the medical journal Revista Mexicana Urologia. Pfizer said it estimates that 1 million of them receive treatment.
Pfizer has reported that it sells around 3 million Viagra pills a year in Mexico alone. According to research firm IMS Health, Viagra has about one third of the market share in Latin America’s second biggest economy.
Viagra Jet is only available in Mexico, but the company may introduce it to other Latin American countries, depending upon local regulatory approval, Pfizer spokeswoman Karla Fuentes said.
The development of Viagra Jet will not extend the drug’s patent life beyond its 2012 expiration, Pfizer said. A number of the company’s patents are due to expire over the next few years, and it has said that it would drastically reduce its research budget to shrink operations.
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