Viagra-like drug, for women and men, promised in 2004

The Bulgarian pharmaceutical firm Sofarma plans to begin delivery of Tribestan, its all-vegetable Viagra analog, to the Russian market in 2004. Tribestan is designed for women as well as men, the company's Russian office said. It also said that the price would be lower than its competitors'.

Sofarma was founded in 1933 on the basis of the Bulgarian Cooperative Association of Pharmacists. It is currently Bulgaria's largest pharmaceutical company, comprising 11 factories, research facilities and a foreign-trade subdivision, Farmaxim. Sofarma holds the patents on 28 company-originated medical compounds and owns 170 trade names, most of which are registered in 30 countries of Europe, Asia and America. It had overall sales of USD 200 million in 2002. Sofarma exports of medicines to Russia increased 400% between 2000 and 2003 and currently are estimated at USD 20 million.