Lagos — Cialis, the new drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, was launched in Kano on Wednesday, December 1, 2004, at Royal Tropicana Hotel, Kano.

According to Steve Mburu, Marketing Manager, Lilly Sub-Saharan Africa, manufacturers of Cialis, the product has been generating a great deal of excitement and demand since it was launched in Abuja and Lagos two weeks ago. Mburu explained that this is because of the 36-hour window of opportunity, which Cialis gives to those suffering from erectile dysfunction. He added that the Cialis Help line in Lagos had been quite busy since the Lagos launch, recording over a hundred calls a day, per help line. Mburu also disclosed that the recent participation of his company, by way of an exhibition, at the just concluded Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has further heightened the excitement in the market.

Mr. Mburu stated that studies have shown that 52 per cent of men over 40 suffer from erection problems, adding that this translates into 152 million men worldwide, and 11.5 million in Africa alone. He further disclosed, before now, less than 15 per cent of men who suffer from erection problems seek or receive therapy for their condition.

Cialis is a type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor and requires sexual stimulation to become effective. It works in as little as 16 minutes and for as long as 36 hours, giving couples a 36-hour window of opportunity for intimacy. Cialis is also the only currently available oral drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), in Nigeria, that is not affected by food or alcohol.

According to Steve Mburu, Cialis is for adult men with erection problems who have received a prescription for the drug. Men who are receiving treatment with nitrates or those with severe kidney, liver or heart disease should not take these treatments. PDE5 should also not be taken by men who have had a heart attack in the last three months, a stroke in the last six months, those who have low blood pressure or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

About Lilly

Eli Lilly, a leading innovation-driven pharmaceutical corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquarters in Indianapolis since 1876, Lilly provides answers that matter through medicines and information for some of the world's most urgent medical needs, focusing on mental health, cancer, diabetes, women's health, cardiovascular disorders, infectious diseases and now also erectile dysfunction.