You think you have seen it all. You have seen the odd YouTube video, perhaps a quirky TikTok compilation. Maybe you even know someone who takes advantage of the “what is Viagra?” trend, trying to push the drug’s benefits on an unsuspicious partner. But there is so much more to Viagra. So much more that you might be surprised to learn about the popular drug—and the companies that profit from it.
The History Of A Life-changing Drug
There is so much more to Viagra than you might imagine. To truly understand the drug, you have to take into consideration its fascinating history.
As a medication, Viagra was originally approved for use in angina pectoris—a condition that results in chest pain and anxiety when the heart muscle is damaged, usually as a result of overwork. The original formulation of the drug, sildenafil citrate, was specifically designed to be absorbed by the liver, and was expected to increase blood flow to the heart and mitigate the effects of angina.
The compound was originally called Revatio. The drug was approved by the FDA in April of 2002 and has been prescribed to more than 12 million patients worldwide. This makes it one of the most prescribed medications in history. It is currently available in most major pharmacies, and online retailers like Viagra Superstore offer a 24-hour phone order service if you want to pop a pill the next morning. A single 400mg dose of Viagra, under the right circumstances, can improve a man’s sexual performance for up to 36 hours.
If that’s not life-changing enough for you, consider this: Viagra has been prescribed to men with erectile dysfunction. This is the umbrella term used by doctors to describe the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection that is sufficient for sexual activity. Think about that the next time you are feeling frustrated because a girl won’t sleep with you or your partner isn’t interested in sex, and you want to blame someone.
Big Pharma’s Role In Promoting Viagra
Big Pharma is certainly a household name for most Americans. But did you know that several pharmaceutical companies are responsible for creating the conditions that make Viagra possible? Conditions like angina pectoris, which inspired the drug’s original development. Or diabetes, which the drug is now known to be helpful in treating. These are all conditions that require a regular prescription, and they can be very expensive. So it’s only natural that drug companies would seek to cash in on the millions of men who are affected by or need these conditions. (And let’s be honest: If you are reading this, you are probably wondering about the role Big Pharma plays in creating the conditions that make Viagra possible—and how much that has to do with the 3 dollars per pill price.)
That’s not all there is to Big Pharma, however. As it turns out, several pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Cephalon, Forest Laboratories, Hoffmann-La Roche, and Janssen, are also responsible for significant research regarding erectile dysfunction and the treatment of sexual dysfunction. As a result of this work, their drugs are frequently recommended together as a treatment for erectile dysfunction—in particular, Trialog, Micardis, Vardenafil, Levitra, and Cialis. (And if you are trying to improve your sex life, you should certainly try out one of these drugs. But keep in mind that they are not as effective as Viagra, and they often come with side effects.)
Who Benefits From The Pharmaceutical Industry’s Latest Innovation?
Now that we know a little bit about Viagra’s history, it’s time to take a closer look at who benefits from the pharmaceutical industry’s latest innovation.
First off, let’s consider the issue of price. As noted above, the price for a single pill of Viagra, at the time of this writing, is 3 dollars—which is quite a bit less than what it would cost you at a pharmacy if you had to walk out with a whole drug cabinet. Considering that a pharmaceutical company is responsible for creating the conditions that make it possible for you to have an erection (aka erectile dysfunction), it’s a pretty safe bet that they have their fingers crossed when it comes to raising your prices. (And let’s be honest: If you are reading this, you are probably wondering about the role Big Pharma plays in creating the conditions that make Viagra possible—and how much that has to do with the 3 dollars per pill price. And, let’s be even more honest, if you are reading this, you are probably already wondering if there is a cheaper option. There probably is—but you have to do a little legwork to find it.)
The Pharmaceutical Companies That Create The Conditions That Make Viagra Possible
Here is a partial list of the pharmaceutical companies that are responsible, in whole or in part, for creating the conditions that make Viagra possible:
- Bayer
- Cephalon
- Forest Laboratories
- Hoffmann-La Roche
- Janssen
- Rottapharm
- Shire
- Takeda
- Vivus
- Warner-Lambert
Keep in mind that not all of these companies are involved in the creation of the conditions that make Viagra possible. Some, like Bayer and Rottapharm, are involved in the research and development of new drugs, while others, like Forest Laboratories, are completely responsible for manufacturing and marketing the existing drugs.
How Does Viagra Work?
Once you have learned about the companies that are responsible for creating the conditions that make Viagra possible, it’s time to learn about how the drug actually works.
As with any drug, the active ingredient in Viagra is responsible for the majority of the drug’s effects. But in the case of sildenafil citrate, the drug’s developers were also responsible for creating a better delivery system for the active ingredient. Specifically, they wanted to find a way to make sure that the drug was always absorbed by the liver—and, once there, that it would stay for the entire duration of a sexual episode. So, in addition to containing the active ingredient, Viagra comes with an attached tablet. The tablet is designed to dissolve and release the active ingredient into the blood stream, where it can reach its destination, the penis.
This is where things get a little bit tricky. As with any drug, not all men are going to experience equal effects from Viagra, which is why it is often prescribed together with other medications or treatments. While regular use can certainly have positive effects, men with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of experiencing negative effects. So it is important to have a prescription medication like Viagra.
More Than Meets The Eye
As you learned at the beginning of this article, everything about Viagra is fascinating. But, in addition to learning about the history of the drug and the companies that profit from it, you should also consider learning about the drug’s many side effects and possible interactions with other medications or supplements. (You will find a comprehensive list of side effects in the FDA’s Medication Guide for sildenafil citrate—also known as Revatio and Viagra.)
Here are some of the more interesting tidbits about Viagra that you might find curious: