The Japanese Erectile Dysfunction Drug Market

The Japanese drug market takes second place in the world for size after the United States and the erectile dysfunction drug market is still relatively untapped in the country. The fact that the sales of Viagra, Levitra, Cialis and Uprima have been less than originally forecasted is not the result of a lack of effort on behalf of the drug companies and their local representatives but mainly due to the strong stigma attached to impotence in Japan. The Japanese male is very proud and having to go and admit erectile dysfunction to adoctor is possibly much more difficult for cultural reason than it would be for a European or American man.

Some market analysts even argue that the promotional campaigns for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have done very little to help and may have heightened the stigma of impotence by bringing it out onto the open, whereas in most countries the stigma is lessened by the awareness campaigns.

The promotion of erectile dysfunction in Japan must also be aware that the regulations are very complicated and therefore western style attitudes to marketing medicines are sometimes not the best thing for good sales. A local attitude, that is aware of cultural sensitivities to marketing drugs in Japan is likely to see the best results.

The impotence drug market is not completely dead but just much lower than most developed countries when you consider the income and population of the Japanese male. Viagra made by Pfizer and Levitra made by Bayer have had sales of around 40 million pounds sterling and this figure could be greatly increased with a successful marketing campaign. The Japanese market is restricted also by the avenues of advertising and promotion that are more limited than what is available in the United States.

Americans buy twice as many erectile dysfunction treatments when compared to the Japanese. Both Japan and America have roughly the same levels of health care expenditure per head and the Japanese impotence problem is known to be as large if not larger than the US impotence problem.