WHILE many in Hong Kong wait impatiently for the arrival of anti-impotence wonder-drug Viagra, others hold their breath for another type of miracle pill, Clomicalm, a cousin of the world's most popular anti-depressant, Prozac.
The new drug is not designed for man, however, but for his best friend. Since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved its use on pets earlier this month, the drug has been profiled around the world, giving hope to long-suffering dog owners desperate to curb their animals' destructive behaviour.
But its maker, Novartis, seems almost embarrassed by reports billing Clomicalm as the cure-all for badly behaved pets.
'The way in which drugs react inside the human and canine body are invariably quite different and comparison would be so simplistic as to be wrong,' says a company spokesman. Still, news about the drug's introduction to Hong Kong has caused excitement.
'We have had quite a few inquiries by vets about Clomicalm,' says Novartis' Hong Kong and Macau business manager April Fong Sum-yu.
Veterinarians believe there is a huge market in the SAR because most pets live in small, cramped flats and their owners are frequently away for long hours - causing a clinical condition known as separation anxiety.