The version arrives "discreet" of Viagra

The pharmaceutical companies producing Viagra are ready to launch a new “discreet” form of the drug which it will replace the iconic and instantly recognizable blue pill. The distinctive diamond-shaped tablets may soon be replaced by a pink, rectangular “wafer” that dissolves on the tongue, meaning you don’t need to take it with water. In the UK, around half of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction and last year the National Health Service recorded a record 4.57 million Viagra prescriptions.

The drug was placed on the market for the first time in the 1990s, after being invented by the American pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. The drug was first developed in the 1980s for heart disease, but trial participants noticed an unusual side effect: frequent erections. Now, Viatris, a spin-off company from Pfizer and owner of the Viagra name and brand, has applied for a trademark in the UK for the new form of the drug, Viagra ODF.

Viatris has already launched Viagra ODF in Canada, advertising it as a “thin and discreet” product, which may be preferable for many customers. “Tablets are not always tolerated by patients and sometimes their size can also discourage taking them,” said Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and health expert. “Some men may still find the idea of ​​taking Viagra embarrassing, but I hope that men’s health and the conversation around sexual health has changed since Viagra was first formulated,” added Govind, who believes that This new design represents a positive step forward. It is believed that the new soluble drug will arrive in the UK soon.

Rebecca Anderson-Smith, partner and trademark lawyer at Mewburn Ellis, said the trademark application is a “good indication” and will be available within the next five years. Trademark registrations may be canceled 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 launch the product within the next few years. However, granting a trademark would not guarantee the sale of ODF, which would first need to be approved by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It is expected to cost the same as the tablet version and be available in the same dosages. This comes after suspected Viagra was discovered to be the most popular counterfeit drug in Britain, after UK regulators seized a fake blue pill in 2023 for a worth over £6.2 million.

Larger supplies of the erectile dysfunction drug have been found than imitations of painkillers such as morphine. Health officials said online retailers violating regulations are behind the counterfeit supplies, most of which are imported from countries such as India without proper licensing. Figures provided by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA, show that 2.6 million doses of sildenafil, the generic name of the drug better known as Viagra, were confiscated last year. Another half million doses of tadalafil, another erectile dysfunction drug sold under the brand name Cialis, worth £1.2m. While all medications can have potential side effects, those from unreliable sources may not work or contain additional ingredients or contaminants, such as heavy metals or other drugs, that could be dangerous.