Korea's drug safety regulator plans to give the go-ahead for local pharmaceutical companies to produce generic products of the anti-impotence pill Viagra late this month, officials said Wednesday.
"Generic products made by three local drug companies passed a bioequivalence test," said an official at the Korea Food and Drug Administration. "We plan to give them the green light for production within this month."
A total of 29 domestic pharmaceutical companies have applied for the administration's approval to manufacture Viagra generics, he said.
The move comes as Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, loses its exclusive right to Viagra's core material sildenafil in May. The world-famous drug was first introduced to Korea in 1999.
Pfizer's Korean unit said the patent, which involves using sildenafil to make impotence-treating pills, is valid until 2014.
"We may lose the patent on sildenafil, but another patent that covers using the material to cure erectile dysfunction is still in effect.
This patent was supported by our capital and investments, and therefore must be recognized," an official from Pfizer's Korean unit said.
Pfizer is preparing to counter a lawsuit filed by CJ Cheiljedang Corp., a domestic pharmaceutical company, which seeks to invalidate the patent.
CJ Cheiljedang expects the local patent court to make a ruling in favor of the company.
"We hope the court will rule in favor of local drug companies," an official from CJ Cheiljedang said. "We plan to produce a generic Viagra regardless of the court's ruling even if we have to compensate Pfizer in the future." (Yonhap)