Starpharma (ASX:SPL) has announced it has been granted marketing approval for its VivaGel condom in Europe.
VivaGel condom is the only one of its type incorporating the proprietary compound, astodrimer sodium (SPL7013, VivaGel) in the lubricant. The VivaGel condom is also approved for sale in Japan, Canada and Australia.
The European approval applies to all 28 member states of the European Union, including the United Kingdom, as well as the four-member countries of the European Free Trade Association with a total population of approximately 525 million people.
Starpharma’s marketing partner in Europe, LifeStyles (formerly Ansell), will now undertake marketing preparations ahead of the launch under the brand name Absolute DUAL PROTECTION.
Starpharma CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, said, “It’s great to have another important market approved for the VivaGel condom and to achieve a further commercial milestone for our VivaGel portfolio. The global condom market was valued at US$7.9B in 2018 and projected to grow by 8.5% per year. Europe is a major region and our partner LifeStyles is a significant player in that market.”
Jeyan Heper, LifeStyles’ CEO, said “LifeStyles is a global leader in sexual wellness. We are committed to making safe sex fun by offering new and unique products, and we’re delighted to add the highly innovative VivaGel condom to the range we offer in Europe. The Absolute DUAL PROTECTION condom is a great example of a new and ground-breaking sexual-health product.”