Pfizer`s
big-selling erectile dysfunction drug Viagra has been given a green light for
sale without a prescription in Britain, the first country to grant it
over-the-counter status.
The U.S.
drugmaker said on Tuesday it was working on plans to launch the
non-prescription version of the medicine, known as Viagra Connect, in the
United Kingdom in the spring of 2018.
The drug will
only be available in pharmacies and its supply will depend on pharmacists`
assessment of its suitability for each individual.
Viagra has been
one of the pharmaceutical industry`s most successful prescription products
since its launch in 1998, following a serendipitous discovery of its effects by
researchers who had been studying it as a heart medicine.
It achieved peak
worldwide sales of more than $2 billion in 2012 but sales have since declined
as patents have expired, prompting Pfizer to explore extending its brand value
as a non-prescription drug.
Viagra is so far
the only erectile dysfunction medicine to be reclassified from
"prescription only medicine" to "pharmacy" status in
Britain. The change follows a lengthy review by the Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Pfizer will
continue to make Viagra available as a prescription drug but the option of also
buying it over-the-counter is likely to reduce demand for potentially
ineffective and dangerous fakes.
"It`s
important men feel they have fast access to quality and legitimate care, and do
not feel they need to turn to counterfeit online supplies which could have
potentially serious side effects," said Mick Foy, the MHRA`s group manager
in vigilance and risk management of medicines.
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