Hong Kong men too embarrassed to take Viagra in front of their partner will soon be able to take an alternative anti-impotence drug up to 36 hours before intercourse.
The new face-saving pill, Cialis, will be available here by the end of the year, drugmaker Eli Lilly Asia said yesterday.
It will become the second drug of its kind to enter the local market, five years after Pfizer's Viagra.
Both drugs work the same way: blocking an enzyme called PDE5 to relax smooth muscle cells and increase blood flow to the penis. The maker of Cialis claims it is effective for up to 36 hours, while Viagra works for up to six hours.
The longer timeframe gives men more leeway over when to have intercourse, said Ben Yang Wai-wing, the local general manager at Eli Lilly Asia.
But he was quick to point out that a longer effective period did not mean the erection would last longer or the user would get a second or third erection. 'It depends on the man's ability. The drug is not for multiple sex. It is not an entertainment drug,' Mr Yang said.