The makers of Viagra are about to launch a new ‘discreet’ form of the drug that will replace the iconic – and instantly recognizable – blue pill.
The distinctive diamond-shaped tablets could soon be replaced by a pink, rectangular ‘wafer’ that dissolves on the tongue, meaning it does not need to be taken with water.
Around half of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction in Britain and last year there were a record 4.57 million prescriptions for Viagra on the NHS.
The drug first came onto the market in the 1990s, after being invented by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
It was first developed in the 1980s as a drug for heart disease, but trial participants noticed it had an unusual side effect: frequent erections.
Now Pfizer spin-off Viatris, owner of the Viagra name and brand, has applied for a trademark in Britain for the new form of the drug, Viagra ODF.
Viatris has already launched the Viagra ODF in Canada and advertised it as “thin and discreet,” which could be preferred by many customers.
The signature tablets – which can cause embarrassment for some patients – have been reinvented and a new dissolvable type may be available to Brits in the next five years. Stock image
“Tablets are not always acceptable to patients and sometimes the size of the tablets can prevent patients from taking them,” told Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and health expert. The Telegraph.
She added, “Some men may still find the concept of Viagra embarrassing, but I hope that men’s health and conversations about sexual health have evolved since Viagra was first formulated.”
Ms Govind believes this new design is a ‘positive step forward’.
It is believed that the new soluble drug is likely to come to Britain soon.
Rebecca Anderson-Smith, partner and registered trademark attorney at Mewburn Ellis, told the newspaper that the trademark application is a “good indication” that it will be available within the next five years.
She explained that trademark registrations can be revoked if they are not used for a continuous period of five years or more after registration. As a result, it appears that Viatris plans to launch the product within the next few years.
However, granting a trademark would not guarantee that the ODF could be sold and 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 doses.
In 2023, a total of 4.57 million prescriptions for sildenafil, better known by the brand name Viagra, and other types of impotence drugs sold under the brand names Cialis and Levitra, were distributed by the health care system.
This comes after dodgy Viagra emerged as Britain’s biggest counterfeit drug after more than £6.2 million worth of fake blue pills were seized by British regulators in 2023.
More supplies of the erectile dysfunction drug were found than knock-off versions of painkillers such as morphine.
Health officials said online retailers flouting regulations were behind the counterfeit products, most of which were imported from countries such as India without proper authorization.
Data from the British regulator The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) shows that 2.6 million doses of sildenafil, the generic name for the drug best known as Viagra, were seized last year.
Another half a million doses of tadalafil, another erectile dysfunction drug sold under the brand name Cialis worth £1.2 million, were also seized.
While all medications carry potential side effects, medications from unreliable sources may not work or contain additional ingredients or contaminants such as heavy metals or other medications that could be dangerous.