Good Test Results Reported on Impotence Drug Cialis

A new male impotence drug has shown promising results in testing, which could set up a competition with blockbuster Viagra at the end of 2002 -- and kick off a search to find a more winning poster child for erectile dysfunction than Bob Dole.

Results of a new, late-stage test released today showed that 85% of men taking 20 milligrams of the experimental drug Cialis reported improved erections. Further studies show that men reported the ability to achieve erections for up to 24 hours after taking Cialis.

Cialis is being developed under a joint venture between biotech firm ICOS(ICOS Quote) and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co.(LLY Quote). If approved, the drug will compete against the current erectile dysfunction bestseller Viagra, marketed since 1998 by Pfizer(PFE Quote).

ICOS and Lilly are expected to push Cialis into the drug approval pipeline at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before the end of the year, aiming for approval in the latter half of 2002. The new Cialis results were released Friday morning at the American Urological Association annual meeting. ...