FDA approves Vivus’s fast-acting Viagra rival

NEW YORK (Reuters) : Men with erectile dysfunction may not have to plan for sex as far in advance anymore after Vivus Inc won U.S. approval for avanafil, its faster acting rival to Viagra.

Avanafil, which will be sold under the brand name Stendra, is the first new drug in the category in a decade.

The drug -- which will compete with Pfizer Inc’s Viagra, Eli Lilly’s Cialis and Levitra, sold by GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer -- gives Vivus, which has struggled to bring a weight loss drug to market, a potentially lucrative commercial product.

The Vivus drug will have some attractive marketing claims as it goes up against established rivals sold by companies with serious marketing muscle.

“This is potentially the fastest acting of the four,” said Dr Wayne Hellstrom, professor of urology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

While it is recommended that patients take the new pill 30 minutes prior to sexual activity, in clinical trials it has been shown to work in as fast as 15 minutes. Viagra typically takes about an hour to start working.