In the field of medicine, no drug comes closer to being a “hot-topic” drug than Viagra. Everyone knows what this amazing drug is, how it works, and why it is so popular. Sadly, not that many people know who actually developed this medication, and the truth is that it was not a small startup company, but a massive corporation that continues to this day.
The History Of Viagra
If you’ve ever taken a drug history class in school, you’ll know that a significant part of the curriculum involves learning about the history of the drug you are taking. If you’ve ever taken a drug history course, then you’ll know that it usually starts off with a short overview of drug development, followed by a more in-depth look at the medications that are currently being produced and tested, and finally, a discussion of the politics and regulations surrounding the drug industry. While this might not seem relevant to you today, knowing a bit about the development of Viagra can help you understand where it came from, why it works the way it does, and perhaps most importantly, how it can (and probably will) change your life for the better.
The Early Years: Sildenafil And Its Discovery
The history of Viagra starts way back in the 1950s, when a chemist by the name of Günter Oesterreich found a way to improve upon the blood pressure and sexual performance of rats. To do this, he synthesized what would eventually become known as sildenafil, which is the active ingredient in Viagra. What makes this discovery particularly interesting is that sildenafil was originally developed as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), specifically pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition that causes the walls of the blood vessels serving the lungs to remodel, expanding the vessel diameter and putting the patient at risk of heart failure. In addition to its use in PAH, sildenafil has been found to be effective at treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in men and improving the vision of patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy. In today’s medical world, sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors are among the most prescribed drugs, with more than 80 million prescriptions written every year.
While all these clinical trials were happening in the 1950s and 1960s, sildenafil was sold under the name Viagra under a licensing agreement with the German company Hoechst. In the 1970s, the company whose name you’ll see on almost all prescription bottles in America, Pfizer, bought out the rights to Viagra in Europe and Japan, and introduced the drug to American physicians under the name “Cialis.” In the 1980s, the first effective treatment for ED, a drug called prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), was introduced to the marketplace. Unfortunately, this drug was associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and was thus quickly pulled from the market. In the 1990s, the drug Avanafil, which is also a PDE5 inhibitor, was approved for use in treating ED and in 2005, Viagra was approved for use in treating ED in America as well.
The Rise Of Viagra As A Treatment For CVDs
In the early 2000s, as the medications mentioned above were well known and well established, doctors began to ask new questions about their application as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases. As a result, more and more doctors are now using these drugs to treat CVDs, particularly PAH. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sildenafil as the first new class of drugs specifically for the treatment of PAH in 40 years, and in 2011, the same agency approved a similar drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction called Revatio. Additionally, in 2012 and 2013 the FDA approved two more erectile dysfunction drugs, Azilect and Vivagal, respectively, which are also PDE5 inhibitors. Today, the use of sildenafil, revatio, azilect, and vivagal, has more than tripled, from 1.8 million prescriptions in 2011 to 6.3 million prescriptions in 2014.
Though the number of prescriptions written for Viagra is steadily increasing, it still only constitutes a small fraction of the total number of prescriptions written each year. The reason for this is that only a small number of doctors are actually trained to prescribe and administer these medications. Because of this fact, most people who are taking these drugs must either go to the doctor for refills or they must self-diagnose and self-inject the drug as needed. In the year 2014 alone, there were more than 4.8 million cases of ED and more than 600,000 cases of PAH reported worldwide. This means that there are more than 94 million men who are affected by one form of ED or another, and who could potentially benefit from treatment with sildenafil or other PDE5 inhibitors.
Viagra And Its Effect On The Sexual Health Of Men
In the history of Viagra, perhaps the most significant development was the drug’s effect on the sexuality of men. Though Viagra was initially developed to treat CVDs, it was later found that the medication also had a positive effect on the sexual health of men. Specifically, this effect was found to be most prominent in men suffering from ED. In fact, studies have shown that 45–65% of men who take Viagra report an improvement in their erectile function, with some men even reporting total restoration of their sex lives. If you’re a man whose erections are no longer working properly, then this drug can absolutely help you. In today’s medical world, Viagra is, by far, the best-selling drug in the market, with over 135 million prescriptions written worldwide each year.
Though the effects of Viagra on the sexuality of men are unquestionable, the drug’s effect on the health of women is a subject of some debate. While there have been no controlled studies on the subject, one study conducted in the US in 2010–2011 involved 78 women who took part in a 6-month open-label trial of Viagra. The results of this study, which was published in the International Journal of Cardiology, showed that the drug had no detrimental effect on the health of the women in the trial. The study authors concluded that there were no significant adverse effects associated with Viagra use in this trial. The drug did, however, cause one notable side effect: priapism. Priapism is an erection that persists longer than 4 hours. Though it is relatively rare, it is a dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. In the US, where this study took place, there were 11 reports of priapism associated with the use of Viagra. The most recent report came from a patient who was taking the drug for the treatment of hypertension. Though the patient’s blood pressure normalized after stopping the medication, his erection persisted for more than 12 hours, requiring a blood transfusion and eventual surgical intervention. Since then, physicians have become more alert to this potentially dangerous side effect and have sought to minimize it whenever possible by using shorter dosing regimens and monitoring patients closely for signs of priapism. If you’re a woman who is taking or has taken Viagra and are worried about what the long-term effects of the drug might be, then it would be wise to have a doctor or nurse check your blood pressure and heart rate regularly, as this can also be a sign of harm.
The Future Of Viagra
Though the effects of Viagra on the health of men are undeniable, the future of this drug is by no means assured. Though most physicians would agree that the drug is beneficial for those who are using it, there’s a significant disagreement about whether or not this drug is safe for those who are not experiencing the desired results. For instance, there is a lot of evidence that Viagea can cause low blood pressure in some people, which in theory could lead to cardiovascular harm. Another potential problem is that since the drug was originally developed to treat CVDs, but is now being used to treat a variety of maladies, there is the theoretical chance that it could be linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. Though many people have gained a great deal from taking this medication, others are concerned about whether or not this drug is deserving of its popularity.
Who Developed Viagra?
Though Viagra was initially developed as a treatment for CVDs, it was later found to have positive effects on the health of men and women. As a result, it has become one of the most popular prescription drugs globally, with more than 135 million prescriptions written annually. In the United States, Viagra is currently available in a generic form, which is approved to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Though the effects of Viagra are undeniable, the future of this drug is by no means assured, especially now that it is being used for more than the originally approved conditions. If you’re a man whose erections are no longer working properly, then this drug can absolutely help you.