Lilly ICOS Enjoys Early Success For Cialis(R) in ED Marketplace, Surpasses Levitra(R) in New U.S. Prescriptions - Recent Head-to-Head Clinical Studies Indicated Patients Prefer Cialis - BOTHELL, Wash. and INDIANAPOLIS, March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- After only three months on the U.S. market, Lilly ICOS's erectile dysfunction (ED) drug Cialis(R) (tadalafil) has already captured a significant share of new prescriptions, beating Levitra(R) (vardenafil HCl) and further eroding the U.S. share of market for Viagra(R) (sildenafil citrate). Cialis is the only oral ED treatment on the market that has been shown to improve erectile function up to 36 hours in most men. For three weeks running, Cialis has surpassed Levitra in share of new prescriptions written in the United States. For the week ending March 12, Cialis captured 18.1 percent of new prescriptions compared to Levitra's 15.4 percent.(1) "Cialis is the fastest growing oral ED treatment on the market; with its rapid uptake we are clearly seeing that men are interested in the distinctive benefits the brand offers," said Paul Clark, Chairman and CEO of ICOS Corporation. "And, we are encouraged that our strategy for communicating about Cialis to healthcare professionals and consumers is working with both audiences." The success of Cialis in the U.S. market is supported by recently published data in European Urology that showed that 73 percent of men preferred Cialis to Viagra for treatment of their ED after receiving treatment with both products.(2) Further, an independent head-to-head trial also showed patient preference for Cialis over both Levitra and Viagra. "The progress we have made in just three short months, along with the newly available published and independent clinical data, supports our long-standing belief that Cialis is an attractive treatment for ED," said Gino Santini, President, U.S. Operations, Eli Lilly and Company. "Cialis is the only oral ED treatment that gives couples up to 36 hours to choose the moment for intimacy that is right for them." About the Paper in European Urology In the study published in European Urology, which was sponsored by Lilly ICOS and led by Alexander Von Keitz, M.D. of Marburg, Germany and Jacob Rajfer, M.D., of Los Angeles, Cal., 181 patients (out of a total of 219 patients in the preference assessment phase) chose between Cialis and Viagra to be used in the extension phase of the trial. Of this group, 73 percent (132/181) preferred 20 mg Cialis, and 27 percent (49/181) preferred Viagra (p