Cialis offers 24-hour activity in impotence

New clinical trial results on Eli Lilly and ICOS' phosphodiesteraseinhibitor Cialis (IC-351), a potential rival to Pfizer's blockbuster Viagra (sildenafil) for erectile dysfunction, suggest that some patients can achieve a benefit for 24 hours after taking the drug. Lilly and ICOS plan to file for approval of Cialis in the second half of this year.

The new Phase II data, which are scheduled to be presented at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association in Anaheim, California, in June, showed that men in the Cialis 10mg group were significantly more successful in achieving erections than those on placebo, even when evaluated at 24 hours after dosing. A second study showed that men who received a dose of the drug (up to 20mg) at home saw a significant improvement over placebo in achieving erection after just 16 minutes, supporting the rapid-onset properties of the new drug.

Lead investigator Harin Padma-Nathan of the University of Southern California noted that the extended duration of responsiveness did not appear to increase the rate or severity of side effects with Cialis, and cited a recent Harris Interactive survey of 256 men with ED in which 88% of the men surveyed indicated the duration of responsiveness was either "very important" or "extremely important" in selecting a treatment.