Viagra company introduces new 'discreet' version – tablet that melts on the tongue and avoids the embarrassment of using the little blue pill
The makers of Viagra are set to introduce a new, more 'discreet' form of the drug, which will replace the iconic and instantly recognisable little blue pill.
The characteristic diamond-shaped tablets could soon be replaced with a pink, rectangular wafer that melts on the tongue and does not need to be taken with water.
Around half of men over 40 in the UK suffer from erectile dysfunction, and last year 4.57 million prescriptions for Viagra were written through the NHS, a historic record.
This drug first hit the market in the 1990s, after being invented by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It was originally developed in the 1980s as a heart disease drug, but trial participants noticed an unusual side effect – frequent erections.
Now, Viatris, a subsidiary of Pfizer that owns the Viagra name and brand, has applied for a trademark in the UK for the new version of the drug, called Viagra ODF.
Viatris has already launched Viagra ODF in Canada, where it has advertised it as a 'slim and discreet' alternative, which may be more preferable for many customers.
“Tablets are not always tolerable for patients, and sometimes their size can prevent them from using them,” pharmacist and health expert Thorrun Govind told The Telegraph. GazetaExpress reports.
"Some men may still find the idea of using Viagra embarrassing, but I hope that conversations about men's sexual health have advanced since the creation of this drug," she added.
Ms. Govind believes this new design is a “positive step forward.”
It is thought that this new sublingual medicine will soon be available in the UK and then in Europe.
Rebecca Anderson-Smith, partner and trademark expert at Mewburn Ellis, told the newspaper that the trademark application is a "good indicator" that the product will be available within the next five years.
She explained that trademark registrations can be cancelled if they are not used for a continuous period of five years or more after registration. As a result, it appears that Viatris intends to introduce the product within the next few years.
However, trademark approval does not guarantee that Viagra ODF can be sold, as it will first need to be approved by the Medical Products and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
It is anticipated that the price of this drug will be the same as the tablet version and will be available in the same doses.
This comes after counterfeit Viagra was named the biggest drug smuggled into Britain, following the seizure of over £6.2 million of the counterfeit blue pills by British regulators in 2023.
More supplies of the erectile dysfunction drug were discovered than counterfeit versions of painkillers like morphine.
Health officials said online sellers who violate the rules are responsible for the counterfeit supplies, most of which are imported from countries like India without proper licenses.
Data from the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) shows that 2.6 million doses of sildenafil, the generic name for the drug known as Viagra, were seized last year.
Also seized were half a million doses of tadalafil, another erectile dysfunction drug sold under the brand name Cialis, worth £1.2 million.
While all medications can have side effects, those from unsafe sources may not work or contain additional ingredients or contaminants, such as heavy metals or other drugs that can be dangerous.. /GazetaExpress/
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