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Cadila develops Penegra, India's answer to Viagra

Neena Haridas in New Delhi

Indian pharmaceutical major Cadila Healthcare Limited is all set to rise to the occasion. The company is about to go in for trial runs of its local version of Viagra.

Cadila announced that it had started clinical trials for, Penegra, its variant of the Viagra anti-impotency drug, after receiving permission from the government.

"Two years after synthesising the chemical compound, sildenafil citrate, the company has received permission to carry out clinical trials from the Drug Controller of India," said a company official.

Viagra, an anti-impotency drug launched by US-based pharma company Pfizer Inc, had risen more than just hopes among the Indian upper and middle class populace. However, the Indian Drug Controller of India had banned the sale of Viagra in India on the argument that its side effects could be detrimental.

However, this official ban opened the gates to black market and Viagra was smuggled into the country to be sold at exorbitant prices of Rs 2,000-Rs 5,000 per pill.

Despite high price tags, the market for Viagra shot through the roof in India.

Says Sanjay Chugh, a Delhi-based psychiatrist, "Sex sells. The pill became very popular in India because sex is still a big issue in the country: performance is linked with manhood. I think the Indian versions of Viagra will the send the market into a tizzy again. "

The Indian pharmaceuticals industry, realising the potential of the potent pill, began vigorous research to come up with an indigenous Viagra.

Besides Cadilla, several companies such as Ranbaxy, and Ayurveda drug firms such as Dabur are also reportedly working on launching Indian anti-impotency pills.

"We have been having anti-impotency drugs for a long time. However, these drugs are mainly energy pills which were being used by consumers as anti-impotency drugs," said a Dabur official.

The anti-impotency drug market in the country is guesstimated to be anywhere around Rs 5 billion to Rs 8 billion. A large portion of this comes from the rural and semi-rural market.

"Contrary to popular belief, sex is a big problem in rural areas. At least in the urban market, there is education and counselling, but rural men entirely depend on their 'manhood' to rule the village," said Chugh.

Ravinder Mittal, medical advisor at Cadilla, said "Clinical trials are being conducted in six cities across the country by specialists. These trials will be completed in two to three months. We will submit our reports to the Drug Controller to seek final permission to launch the drug in the market."

Despite the fact that the company has yet to divulge the date of the official launch of the pill, Penegra is expected to excite the market in more ways than one.

Mittal said, "The official launch should happen very soon."

The company said that Penegra will be priced around Rs 80 ($1.84) for a tablet of 50 grams.

"The drug is used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, which is believed to be most common cause of sexual disturbance in men,'' Mittal said.

Cadila, part of the Zydus Group, which is one of India's leading pharmaceutical firms, posted a net profit of Rs 303.6 million on a sales turnover of Rs 3.61 billion rupees in the fiscal 1998-99.

The company recently made an initial public offering of 14,88,600 shares and it is expected to be listed on the Bombay Sock Exchange by the end of April.

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