Men too embarrassed by the famous blue pill... transforming into a film form?

Viagra pills/photo=Shutterstock, Pfizer

 

There is growing interest in whether Viagra, an erectile dysfunction treatment for adults in the UK, will be released in a film form instead of the traditional blue pill shape. The blue pill shape is widely recognized by the public, and the change in form aims to help men who feel embarrassed to take the medication in its original form.

 

According to the UK Daily Mail on the 17th, Viatris, the manufacturer of Viagra in the UK, has filed a trademark application for a new form of medication called Viagra ODF (orally disintegrating film).

 

The current blue diamond-shaped pill is too well known, making it easy for the public to identify the medication, which is a disadvantage. In response, Pfizer has redesigned the new Viagra in a pink rectangular film form that dissolves immediately on the tongue. There is no longer a need to take it with water.

 

In the UK, half of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction, and last year, Viagra prescriptions reached a record 4.57 million cases.

 

Viagra was first developed by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and released in the 1990s. The joint venture company, Viatris, formed through the merger of Pfizer's global division Upjohn and the global healthcare company Mylan, has already launched a thin film dissolvable Viagra ODF in Canada, advertising it as "thin and discreet," which has gained much popularity.

 

This new medication will be sold after undergoing approval procedures by the drug and health functional food regulatory agencies. The price and dosage of the film version are the same as the existing tablets.

 

A pharmacist said, "Some men feel embarrassed about taking Viagra, and patients are also hesitant because of the size of the pill," and described the new design as a "positive development."

 

Meanwhile, in Korea, film forms of Viagra and generic drugs have been available for over 10 years. In Korea, SK Chemicals first launched the dissolvable erectile dysfunction treatment 'EmVixS Oral Disintegrating Film 50mg (ODF, active ingredient: Mirodenafil)' in 2011, gaining popularity, and Viagra ODF was also released in 2013.

Reporter Kim So-yeon (nicksy@mt.co.kr)