Pfizer upbeat about development of Viagra for women

The development of a version of Viagra for women is "progressing extremely well", says the head of the Pfizer research unit that developed the famous blue pills.

Declan Doogan, senior vice-president and director of the company's British laboratories in Sandwich, southern England, added that his team was also working on an improved version of the anti-impotence drug for men. The development of Viagra for use by women has been more complex than that for the male pill, and there has been conflicting clinical trial data on whether the pill can help improve women's sexual response by improving blood flow to the genitals.

"We have learned a lot from our initial experiments. It is progressing extremely well," Doogan said in an interview in London, adding that phase two and three trials were under way.

"It is no secret to say we are sufficiently encouraged [by the phase two results], otherwise we would not continue to invest."

He said that a Mark II version of Viagra for men - codenamed 369003 - had started phase two trials. It should be more effective than the existing drug, which faces competition from rivals that have claimed their products act faster.

Like the existing compound, 369003 targets the PDE 5 receptor which plays a role in numerous medical conditions, as well as sexual impotence.

"We are working very hard on some [other therapeutic] areas but I am not at liberty to speak about those areas because the competition is really hot," Doogan said. The speed of development of 369003 would depend on how many different indications the company decided to pursue, he said. However, it could be quite rapid, given Pfizer's existing knowledge of Viagra.

Doogan said Pfizer's overall programme was in robust health with 15 compounds in phase two or three clinical trials.

- REUTERS

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