William Atkins
Sunday, 30 March 2008 22:20
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 2
Viagra®, uncommonly known as sildenafil citrate, is a drug that is used to treat men with erectile dysfunction, or impotence. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a little over ten years ago, on March 27, 1998.
Viagra®, also known by the brand name Revatio® and others, is also used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, but is best known as the drug that helps treat sagging you-know-whats.
Its compound designation is UK-92-480.
Viagra is commonly known as "Vitamin V" and "The Blue Pill" (because of its blue color).
It was developed by the pharmaceutical company
Pfizer . Specifically, a team of chemists at Pfizer’s research facility in Sandwich, Kent (England) developed the drug. It was originally used to treat hypertension and angina pectoris (a type of cardiovascular disease).
However, when it was initially tested, it failed in its intended uses. But, the chemists found that it helped to relieve erectile dysfunction. They were elated!
Therefore, Pfizer marketed the drug for erectile dysfunction (ED) after getting it patented in 1996 and approved by the FDA on March 27, 1998. The company knew it could be one of its “stand-out” drugs.
At that time, Viagra® became the first drug to treat ED. Between 1999 and 2001, its annual sales for Pfizer was over $1 billion, lifting the company’s sales to new heights.
How does Viagra work? And, at what price per pill? All those facts and more....
