Skip to main content

Sanofi acquires over-the-counter rights for Cialis

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

French drugmaker Sanofi is buying the rights to seek approval for a version of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis that customers would be able to buy without a doctor’s prescription.

Sanofi will acquire the rights from its U.S. counterpart Eli Lilly and Co. for the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia under the deal.

Lilly spokeswoman Celeste Stanley says they don’t expect to launch such a version before 2018.

Cialis is currently sold only through prescription. It brought in $2.16 billion in worldwide sales last year, but it will lose patent protection in the U.S. and other markets in 2017. That will expose the drug to competition from cheaper, generic versions.

Terms of the Sanofi-Lilly deal were not disclosed.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related News

Where to take the family while they visit DC

Step-by-step guide: How to make the perfect Thanksgiving pie

All remaining charges in Freddie Gray cases dropped