(By Balachander) Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) said the the European Commission has approved Cialis tablets for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Cialis was approved for erectile dysfunction (ED) in the EU in 2002. Cialis for once daily use was approved to treat ED in the EU in 2007.
"With this approval, Cialis is now the only medication in the EU to provide a single treatment option for men with both ED and BPH," said Anthony Beardsworth, senior medical director at Lilly.
Cialis 5 mg for once daily use was approved by the U.S. health regulators in October 2011 for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also approved Cialis 5 mg for once daily use to treat men who have both erectile dysfunction and the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (ED+BPH).
ED is a condition where the penis does not fill with enough blood to harden and expand when a man is sexually excited, or when he cannot keep an erection. Roughly 50 percent of men between 40-70 years old have ED.
BPH is a condition where the prostate enlarges, which can cause urinary symptoms.
The most common side effects with Cialis are headache, indigestion, back pain, muscle aches, flushing and stuffy or runny nose, the company noted.