Cialis gaining market share worldwide

ELI LILLY RELEASED new ads for Cialis and boasted of big gains on rival Viagra as the firm took full control over the drug in the wake of its Icos acquisition.

The "Doorbell rings" TV spots don't dispense with the iconic bathtubs, but they do take a new tack, communicating "Le Week-ender's"

Cialis continues to chip away at Viagra's lead-particularly abroad. In a December analyst call, Lilly bragged that Cialis, with 35.5% of the ex-US market as of July, was on track to become the No. 1 global ED drug in 2007. Viagra leads outside the US, with 49.3% of the market, while Levitra boasts 15.3% share, Lilly said.

Viagra held a stronger lead in the US, with 56.6% total market share and sales of $615 million for the first nine months of 2006, according to IMS Health, but sales were down 6%. Cialis held 27% of the US market, with sales up 26% to $294 million, while Levitra claimed 13.3% with sales up 30% to $144 million.

"Globally we are leading in a number of markets, including France where we have been the market leader for over a year now," Lilly spokeswoman Kindra Strupp said. In the US, she added, the company attributes Cialis growth to good messaging. "We identified a market for the 40-plus male, in a mature relationship and the kind of message we put into the marketplace, which is to say that 36 hours of flexibility can be more spontaneous, is something they felt is more of a value for them."

-Stephen McGuire