Erectile dysfunction drug sales continue to rise in Belgium

In 2014 in Belgium, 9.7 million pills for erectile dysfunction (ED) were sold in Belgium, 30% more than the previous year, reports La Dernière Heure, based on figures from pharma.be, the umbrella organisation of the Belgian pharmaceutical industry.

The success of the pills can be explained by the arrival of a less expensive, generic version of the drug on the market in 2013. The generic ED drug means increased competition for Pfizer's Viagra.

There is also a trend towards more openness around the issue of ED. "Patients are generally less hesitant to visit their doctor and talk about their sexual problems," explains Professor Reinier-Jacques Opsomer, urologist at the University Hospital Saint-Luc in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.