Teva and Actavis debut generic Viagra in Europe

The patent on Viagra (sildenafil) expired last Friday (June 21) in the UK and some other European countries, paving the way for the launch of generic versions of Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) blockbuster erectile dysfunction therapy.

First to confirm launch of copies of Viagra, which generated sales of $2 billion (half in the USA where patent protection continues through to 2019) last year, was Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA), which debuted its product in Germany, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Belgium and Denmark. The company had already launched the product in Spain, Canada and certain other countries.

In 2011, a US District Court upheld the validity of a patent on the drug in the USA until October 2019 (The Pharma Letter August 16, 2011), with protection later extended until 2020 after Pfizer was awarded an extra six months of pediatric exclusivity.