Wednesday, July 16, 2003 Updated: July 17, 8:35 AM ET
Companies hope to compete against Viagra
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Two companies backing an experimental impotence
drug will become NFL sponsors, the league said Wednesday.
The deal is expected to be the beginning of a ferocious
marketing war in territory Viagra currently has to itself.
Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. and GlaxoSmithKline, which expect
their drug Levitra to be approved by the Food and Drug
Administration later this year, wouldn't say how much they are
spending on the three-year sponsorship. They also declined to
disclose details of the agreement.
Published reports said the companies are spending $18 million. A
source close to the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity said
that figure was close to the actual amount of the deal.
Each week, 120 million people watch the NFL.
"This is a strategic opportunity for us. We will educate men on
health issues," Bayer spokeswoman Nancy Bryan said. "Sexual
health is a key issue."
Eli Lilly & Co. and Icos Corp., also are expecting approval
later this year for their impotence drug, Cialis.
Currently, the impotence drug market is controlled by Pfizer's
Viagra. In 2001, Pfizer spent $101 million marketing Viagra, making
it the fourth most heavily promoted drug in the country that year --
and that was when it had the market all to itself.
"`We expect Pfizer will continue to market its product," said
Glaxo spokesman Michael Fleming. "But we have a robust and
exciting campaign."
He said specifics of the campaign would be released in the
coming weeks.
