Has Durex finally come up with the magic, prophylactic bullet? Trojan's whipping boy, which only commands six-to-eight percent of the U.S. over-the-counter condom market, needed to goose sales, and they just might be onto something with their new erection-enhancing condom, known as the CSD500, that contains a dose of Zanifil gel in the tip.
The gel, or "erectogenic compound," from U.K. drugmaker Futura, is based on the chemical nitroglycerin, and boosts blood flow in the penis (and hopefully bedroom spirits). Zanifil also uses a patented delivery system that allows medicine to rapidly permeate the skin.
As Daniel Mahony, a hedge-fund manager at London's Polar Capital (who owns shares of Futura), put it, "It's essentially Viagra in a condom." And as if that weren't enough, Futura is also working on a topical spray that helps delay ejaculation, due to hit U.S. stores next year. Better living through chemistry indeed!
The Zanifil condoms, which won't require a doctor's prescription, are cleared for sale in twenty-nine countries, and are expected to hit shelves in Europe next year. The biggest growth prospects are thought to lie in the U.S., where the condom's partners are "exploring the approval process." According to Futura's CEO, James Barder, the main reason the product isn't available yet is due to a marketing-sensitivity issue. Since forty percent of condoms are purchased by women, it's crucial that marketing materials successfully finesse differing gender attitudes towards sex. Barder explained:
"If the packaging says it will give you a bigger penis, and a woman gives it to a man, it might cause a reaction, like, 'What, you're saying my penis is small?' This area does have sensitivities. Positioning is critical."
