Vivus' Actis cleared for OTC use

Shares in erectile dysfunction specialist Vivus surged after the firmsaid it had been granted US approval to sell its Actis anti-impotence device without the need for a prescription. Vivus shares leaped $0.72, or 37.1%, to $2.66 on the day of the announcement (December 22). However, the company's stock had slipped back slightly as this issue of the Marketletter went to press, and Vivus' shares are still well off their 52-week high of $11.25.

Actis, which takes the form of an adjustable constriction band used to enhance the erection process in men with erectile dysfunction caused by venous leak, was approved for prescription use in 1996. Vivus will market it over-the-counter in the USA through an agreement with on-line and mail-order firm ivpcare.com, while elsewhere it will be sold OTC by Abbott Laboratories, which also markets Vivus' intraurethral prescription drug MUSE (alprostadil).

"Our plan calls for selling Actis through major pharmacy channels and through e-commerce efforts," Terry Nida, vice president of marketing at Vivus, said in a statement. "Given its safety record," he added, "we expect that the product will be well received by consumers."