First domestic-made erectile dysfunction drug debuts in China

A Chinese pharmaceutical company on Thursday launched the country's first domestic-made erectile dysfunction treatment drug, aiming to challenge foreign domination of this market, reports the state-owned news service Xinhua.

The pill, called Jinge, is made by Guangzhou Bai Yun Shan Pharmaceutical General Factory in south China's Guangdong Province. The company will sell the drug nationwide from late October, hoping to rake in up to one billion renminbi ($160 million) in revenues in the next few years.

The price of Jinge will be a fraction of that of foreign pills, according to the drug's maker. A subsidiary of Bai Yun Shan can produce materials used to make the drug, Xinhua reported.