On this day in 1998 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viagara!
This drug was originally synthesized to treat hypertension and angina but the chemists at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals found that while the drug had little effect on the conditions it was developed to treat, it could induce penile erections.
Pfizer decided to market the drug for impotence. Sildenafil, the chemical name for Viagra, was patented in 1996, and a mere two years later--a stunningly short time compared to other drugs--it was approved by the FDA for use in treating "erectile dysfunction," the new clinical name for impotence. Viagra's massive success was almost instantaneous.
An estimated 30 million men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction and a wave of new Viagra competitors, among them Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil), has blown open the market.
The long-term effects of Viagra on men's health are still unclear (Viagra does carry warnings
for those who suffer from heart trouble), but its popularity shows no signs of slowing especially as the baby boomer population continues to age.
Happy Birthday, Viagra!
0 comments