Pfizer to bring products from global portfolio

Pfizer India intends to align its business in line with its parent Pfizer Inc. Explaining this at the launch of Viagra in India here on Thursday, Kewal Handa, managing director, Pfizer Limited, India, said, "We would draw drugs from our global portfolio, close to the international launches and bring in therapeutic products."

The Indian subsidiary of the pharma major will restructure its field force in alignment with therapeutic products in the coming months.

Pfizer, which currently markets around 100 products in India, would launch products of therapeutic value in the cardio vascular, oncology, psychiatry, urology and opthalmology segments in future.

K G Ananthakrishnan, senior director, Pfizer Limited, India, said, "Viagra would be selectively launched in top 30 cities on December 26, 2005."

The drug, sildenafil citrate, with serious contraindications is being launched in select cities as it is structured to be sold on the prescription of a specialist physician and not to be abused by uninformed physicians and over enthusiastic patients, he said.

"We are targeting the andrologists, urologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists and venerologists in these cities and would eventually expand to smaller towns," he said.

There are other generic versions of Viagra in the market, estimated to be about $1.5 million, said Ananthakrishnan, adding that the product is being launched with a hologram of Pfizer on the pack to ensure purchase of original Viagra.

The drug being imported from France is available in two doses, 50 mg and 100 mg, priced at Rs 463 and Rs 594 respectively. Viagra so far has been launched in 123 countries and sold over 1.87 billion pills, the company informed.