Home-grown ayurvedic medicine producer Baidyanath is planning to introduce a plant-based drug ?Vigour 100? to treat erectile dysfunction. The plant-based drug, which would compete with the blue pill ?Viagra? in the Rs 70-crore male infertility market in the country, is scheduled for launch in early 2008.
The medicine would be sold in the domestic market initially, but the company has plans to take it to the developed markets as well.
?The drug comes without the side effects that come along with its allopathic counterparts such as headache, facial flushing, upset stomach, bluish orblurred vision, vision, or sensitivity light,? director Good Care Pharma Tania Sharma told FE.
Good Care Pharmaceuticals is a 100% subsidiary of Baidyanath and focuses on drugs related to lifestyle disorders such as stress, diabetes, and skin problems.
The company intends to export the drug in developed countries such as the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany and therefore has taken care of the ingredients that are not allowed to increase libido in the developed world. ?We have not yet decided on the launch date for overseas,? Sharma added.
When asked about its pricing Sharma said that the pack of 20 tablets is sold for Rs 200, which is very cost effective as compared to other products in the market.
The drug besides competing with the likes of Viagra would also face challenge from Dabur, which has introduced Shilajit Gold (a mood elevator and sexual stimulant ayurvedic capsule) in the domestic market.
It increases basic metabolism, pacifies stress and tension, enabling a person to lead a normal sex life.
The domestic male infertility market stands at Rs 70 crore and is growing at about 11% particularly due to lifestyle changes and stress.
The company recently carried out clinical trials for its product for diabetes – Diabet Guard along with the Institute of Post Graduate Ayurvedic Education and Research (Kolkata).