Viagra-like Thai pills on the way

Viagra-like Thai pills on the way

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

A viagra-like drug will be launched by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation next month in a bid to battle counterfeit products and the brand-name pill's steep price.

The GPO's managing director Witit Artavatkun said yesterday the organisation had been given permission by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to produce Sidagra, a generic drug with a similar composition to Viagra, to help men with erectile dysfunction.

Sales of Sidagra will begin on Oct 15 in two sizes _ a 50mg tablet at 25 baht and a 100mg pill at 45 baht.

The prices of the pills are a lot cheaper than Viagra's retail price of 200 baht per tablet, Dr Witit said.

Sidagra will be rolled out to give consumers a safe alternative to counterfeit products and to help elderly men who cannot afford Viagra, he added.

To prepare for integration into the Asean Economic Community, the GPO has improved its drug manufacturing facility in Rangsit to comply with the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme, Dr Witit said.

Manufacturing processes have been boosted to meet standards in other Asean countries, he said, adding that the factory's capacity now stands at 5 billion tablets a year.

Drugs for the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure and Aids will be produced at the GPO factory and distributed to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, he said.

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