At the end of the 90s the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer introduced Viagra to an unsuspecting and sexually reticent world. Blasting its way into global culture, the launch of the ‘little blue pill’ changed how the world talked about erectile dysfunction (ED) and improved the sex lives of millions worldwide. Read in full
Viagra/sildenafil
Pfizer’s Viagra has been available since 1998. The active ingredient Sildenafil citrate, a PDE5 inhibitor, increases the blood flow to the penis to help men suffering from impotence (erectile dysfunction or ED). The increased blood flow results in an erection. Pfizer’s patent for Viagra expired in several European countries (including the UK) on 21 June 2013 allowing legal generic versions of the drug Sildenafil to be made available.
Viagra UK patent set to expire
If you’re a sufferer of erectile dysfunction you’ll be thrilled to know that impotence medication is set to become a lot cheaper. The patent of the little blue pill will expire on the 21st of June 2013 and will no longer be able to monopolise the market.
The patent for Viagra currently protects the use of the revolutionary ingredient ‘Sildenafil’ and ensures that Pfizer are the only pharmaceutical company that can produce Viagra legally in the UK. Read in full
How does Viagra work?
Viagra is one of the most globally recognised prescription drugs, and the first male impotency treatment for ED (Erectile Dysfunction) made available by Pfizer in 1998. ED is the repeated inability for a man to get or maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse, and can range from complete impotence to unsatisfactory performance.
Read in fullViagra vs Cialis – what’s the difference?
Viagra was the drug that changed the world in 1998 and revolutionised treatment for men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Cialis was the second ED drug brought to market and earned the nickname The Weekend Pill as it’s duration of action is 36 hours (Viagra lasts for 4 hours). Other tablets to treat ED are Levitra and Spedra.
Viagra has been ‘off patent’ since 2013 which means legal copies of the drug can now be sold in the UK as generics called sildenafil, and there are now many brands of sildenafil available. The patent for Cialis expired November 2017 and lower cost generic Tadalafil is also now available. Read in full
Viagra – the drug that changed the world
Viagra was developed and is marketed by the Pfizer pharmaceutical company and has been available for use since 1998. The active ingredient is Sildenafil citrate, a PDE5 inhibitor, which increases the flow of blood to the penis to aid men suffering from erectile dysfunction (impotence) achieve and maintain an erection.
Since it was introduced to the market in 1998 the rise of Viagra has been a worldwide phenomenon, helping millions of men suffering from erectile dysfunction and also spawning similar drugs and many third world counterfeit suppliers.
It was the drug that transformed the sexual landscape. Before Viagra, impotence meant shame and often the collapse of all but the most committed relationships. The discovery of its startling ability to restore men’s faded sexual function triggered a social revolution as monumental as that caused by the contraceptive pill.
Ten years on: it’s time to count the cost of the Viagra revolution, The Guardian, 24 February 2008
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