Lilly's Cialis receives EU endorsement for new use

The European Union's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended approval of a 5-milligram dose of Cialis for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The European Commission usually decides on the committee's opinion within a month or two, Lilly said Friday. It doesn't have to follow the recommendation but often does.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, can cause symptoms like the need to urinate urgently and frequently.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Cialis last fall for the treatment of symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Regulators also have approved this use in Canada, Mexico and Brazil, among other countries.

Cialis brought in $1.88 billion last year, or 8 percent of Lilly's total revenue, as its fifth-best-selling product.

Shares of the Indianapolis drugmaker climbed 62 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $47.64 in midday trading Friday after rising as high as $47.71 earlier, its highest level in four years.