History: How ICOS and Eli Lilly Came up with Cialis

Cialis is the outcome of a joint venture between ICOS and Eli Lilly. Cialis is the foremost drug that was successfully brought to the market by the duo. Let us explore the history and know how Cialis was developed and marketed by Lilly ICOS.

ICOS was founded in the year 1990 in the United States , based in Washington State , in the City of Bothell as a small biotech company. During 1993 ICOS started research on IC351, a compound that inhibits PDE5 enzymes. Soon in 1994, it received the first patent on IC351 and the researchers were busy in discovering a drug that would be meant for enhancement of sexual enjoyment in men and women by treating penile erection difficulties. On 1995 began the Phase I clinical trial on IC351 followed by its first study in patients with erectile dysfunction in 1997.

Eli Lilly is an internationally known, one of the largest Indianapolis pharmaceuticals company. Eli Lilly acknowledged, when they entered into talks with ICOS about IC351 in the early 1998, that ICOS's new drug had something more to offer than Viagra. That time Viagra had brought the issue of erectile dysfunction to light and men were talking about impotence. ICOS and Eli Lilly and Co. created a partnership to form a joint venture to commercialize drugs for the treatment of sexual dysfunction and in 1999, Phase III clinical studies begin on IC351. In 2001 , the company renamed the drug as Cialis in the new drug application to U.S. Food and Drug Administration for IC351.

They worked out a superior quality of an existing drug by using their proficiency in molecular, cellular and structural biology. In May 2002, Lilly and ICOS reported encouraging results for Cialis in Phase III test, which showed that Cialis remained in the system and kept working for up to 36 hours. European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products issued a positive report about Cialis and recommended to the European Commission for approval during July that year. In November 2002 Cialis was approved in Europe and was introduced in the European market as well as Australia and New Zealand in February 2003 in partnership and the new company became Lilly ICOS. FDA approved Cialis in November 2003 for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and is available by prescription only and soon the US market accepted it owing to its popularity, and success as an ED drug.

Today the partnership of Eli Lilly and ICOS is offering Cialis to many nations all over the world. Now it is a known fact, although Cialis is also a PDE5 enzyme inhibitor but as an add-on, it allows the effect of the enzyme to work for a longer period of time. Cialis appeals to most couples because of the longer lasting effects i.e. up to 36 hours.

A man does not have to plan his sexual activities with Cialis, he can take it in the morning hours of the day and start in as soon as 30 minutes just after oral administration or wait for the right moment for sexual relations that evening. That is why it has become the largest selling erectile dysfunction treatment in France, who named it "le weekender pill". Cialis is also well received by European market and is one of the topmost selling drugs for erectile dysfunction in the US.