- Andrew McMains

NEW YORK Schering-Plough and GlaxoSmithKline have contacted agencies about creative duties on its Levitra brand, now at BBDO here, sources said.

Major media spending on the erectile dysfunction drug totaled nearly $70 million last year and $40 million in the first half of 2008, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Those figures do not include online spending.

Omnicom Group's BBDO, which has handled Levitra since 2005, is not expected to defend the business. The agency declined to comment and referred calls to the client.

A Schering-Plough representative had no comment and a GlaxoSmithKline rep could not immediately be reached.

Media duties at Publicis Groupe's MediaVest (planning) and WPP's MediaCom (buying) do not appear to be in play.

Since its launch in 2003, Levitra has had three lead creative agencies: WPP Group's Quantum Group in Parsippany, N.J., Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi Consumer Healthcare here and BBDO.

BBDO's most recent work depicts men discussing the underlying health conditions that can cause erectile dysfunction. There is no tagline.

Levitra's competitors include Pfizer's Viagra and Eli Lilly's Cialis.