Stock Watch

Cialis is keeping the stock analysts busy with keeping track of sales figures.

Finally, the staying power of Cialis is making a dent in Viagra's share in the Anti-Impotence market. Analysts have predicted Cialis could eventually reach $2 billion in annual sales.

Even though Lilly and ICOS didn't begin advertising Cialis in USA until this month, sales of Cialis in the United States reached nearly $28 million during the first full month .It has exceeded the expected sales figures of $13 million to $20 million. Worldwide sales of Cialis exceeded $203 million in the first year. In Lilly ICOS territories, sales totaled $129.8 million for the year, including $27.9 million in the U.S., $95.1 million in Europe and $6.8 million in Canada and Mexico combined. In countries where Lilly markets Cialis, 2003 sales were $73.5 million. For December 2003, based on pharmacy purchases from wholesalers(1), Cialis had a 33% share of unit sales in France, 30% in Germany, 27% in Italy and 18% in both Spain and the United Kingdom.

There are still miles to go, when one compares with Pfizer's Viagra which has 77.1 percent of new prescriptions and 87 percent of total prescriptions in its booty. But it is a fast and steady climb up for Cialis which has captured 7.9 percent of new U.S. prescriptions and 3.7 percent of total prescriptions, as of Jan 9 th , 2004 . Levitra, another erectile-dysfunction drug developed by Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline, has 15 percent of new prescriptions and 9.4 percent of total prescriptions.

The cut-throat competition is on. It is good news for men seeking a reprieve from erection difficulties because now they have other options besides Viagra.

Paying the price:
Despite the higher than expected sales, Lilly ICOS lost almost $175 million in 2003 because of the enormous cost of launching the drug and marketing it in Europe and North America . Research costs also went up as Lilly ICOS conducted follow-up studies on the drug's use.

Big Time Investors- Does Cialis Interest You?
The Impotence Drug market is spending million bucks to make their products a household name. The Race is on and the strategies are at work.

The ICOS CEO Paul Clark stirred up the interest of investors at their biggest annual investor event. He emphasized on the fierce marketing strategy of Cialis. ICOS and Eli Lilly sales reps were calling doctors to pitch the drug the day after it won approval from the Food and Drug Administration in November, and that the drug was shipped to 80 percent of U.S. pharmacies within two weeks. He was quick to emphasis that the investors should not make quick judgments on U.S. sales because the drug just became available during the holiday season.