Partnering with or buying Bayer's drug division outright would also give it a bigger share of Levitra sales.
He insists Levitra could become the leader within 24 months of U.S. approval.
One prospect is GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK - news - people ), Bayer's marketing partner on Levitra.
Any bid for Bayer's drug business would be a bet on Levitra's success.
With no new products expected (aside from Levitra) for at least two more years, Bayer is already paying for its hesitation.
The New York-based drug giant filed a lawsuit last year in the U.S.District Court inDelaware, alleging both Cialis and Levitra infringe a recent Viagra "method-of-use" patent.
The company has some partnered drugs coming down the pike, including Bayer 's (nyse: BAY - news - people ) impotence pill Levitra.
Pfizer has asserted that it has patents covering the chemical path by which Viagra works--so far without having an effect on the profitability of rivals Levitra or Cialis.
Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ) is suing both drugmakers, saying that its patents for Viagra also cover screens to make similar compounds like Levitra and Cialis.
And there is continuous discussion that Glaxo, big as it is, might want to do another deal to spur its growth--perhaps buying Bayer's troubled drug division and getting Levitra sales all to itself.
Lilly and Icos have another message in mind entirely: their Cialis works for more than 36 hours, compared with as few as five hours for Viagra and as long as a day for Levitra.
Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ) has asserted that it has patents covering the chemical path by which Viagra works--so far without having an effect on the profitability of rivals Levitra or Cialis.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Levitra, an orange pill compared to Viagra's blue, based on studies showing that men were on average five times more likely to achieve an erection suitable for intercourse when taking the pill compared with those given a dummy medicine.
应用推荐