World's largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, took seven years to decide to launch its latest blockbuster molecule, sidenafil citrate, in the Indian market. What actually guided the Pfizer management to delay the launch of Viagra in India is somewhat mysterious especially when companies like Ranbaxy, Zydus Cadila, Sun and half a dozen others have already made a killing in the market during this period. It looks like an error in judging the Indian market by the Pfizer management. Medical practitioners vouch that brands of most of the Indian companies have the same efficacy of Viagra. If that is case, the price of Rs 594 for one tablet of Viagra in comparison to the price of Rs 20 for most of the successful Indian brands is ridiculous and irrational. Just the Pfizer's brand name alone will not ensure success in market place. The company should have also known that a few of the top Indian brands of sidenafil citrate are being smuggled into the US market to meet the rising demand for these cheaper versions there. The justification gave by the managing director of Pfizer in India for fixing such a highly unrealistic price is some grey market data for Viagra supplied by certain unnamed marketing consultants. If the company can sell the product at its current price it will be nothing but a marketing miracle.
For a 50 billion dollar company a market of Rs 100 crore for erectile dysfunction products may not matter much but then the reason for its launch in the country now should be some other. Pfizer is not, however, disclosing any other intent. At the same time the MNC is quite upbeat about its ongoing clinical trials of sidenafil citrate for a few other indications such as pulmonary hypertension and stroke. Dr Peter Ellis, executive director, Pfizer, UK said in Delhi that these trials are already on in some countries including India. The trials are at various stages and have shown good responses in several cases. It will be huge bonanza for Pfizer if sidenafil citrate turns out to be a successful cure for pulmonary hypertension or for stroke. There are millions of people world over suffering from all the three diseases. And the number of patients in India with these multiple indications should also be quite sizeable. With new patent law in place in India Pfizer thus stands to earn several times more than what it has lost on account of not launching Viagra on time. But that again only time can tell considering the increasing number of withdrawals of relatively new molecules from the world pharmaceutical market.