ED drugs market up 40% a year

The Romanian market of erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs, which is being fought over by three of the world”s largest pharmaceutical companies, is growing at a rate of 40% a year, says Marius Savu, general manager of the Romanian branch of the US firm Eli Lilly. ED drugs form one of the most dynamic segments of the pharmaceuticals market, with over 30% growth last year. “One of the main reasons the ED drug market is growing faster than the overall market is that it does not depend upon any subsidy mechanisms,” added Savu, who is also the chairman of the Romanian Association of International Drug Producers. Consumption of this type of drugs is put at 5 million dollars (about 4.3 million euros), with growth remaining relatively constant over the last few years. The market is currently divided among GlaxoSmithKline, the Romanian market leader and seller of Levitra, Pfizer, the world market leader with its product Viagra, and Eli Lilly with Cialis. ZF