Doctor in gun over Viagra drug clone

By PATRICK GOWER

The makers of sex drug Viagra are taking legal action against an Auckland doctor who has been importing a cheaper version of the medicine from India.

The cloned version is made from the same active ingredient used to treat impotence in men as Viagra.

But it is understood to cost New Zealand customers only about $30 for four tablets compared with the $90 they have to pay for a similar amount of the real thing.

The maker of Viagra, multi-national drug company Pfizer, says it took the legal action only after providing the doctor with several opportunities to stop infringing its patent.

Pfizer says it has evidence of other people importing the cloned drug and is considering taking further legal action.

The company's New Zealand general manager, Mark Crotty, would not say last night who the doctor was.

However, Herald inquiries have found it is a male doctor with a suburban Auckland practice.

The doctor said it would unwise for him to comment at this stage, but the cheaper clone tablets were of obvious benefit to patients who were regular users.

Mr Crotty said the doctor had approached the company in February wanting to be supplied directly with the drug.

"He said that if Pfizer did not supply him [Viagra] directly, he would import generic product from India.

"We advised him that this would infringe Pfizer's patent covering Viagra and have reluctantly started legal proceedings."

Mr Crotty said Pfizer would take whatever steps were necessary to protect its investment in medicines such as Viagra.