There was a lot of discussion when we talked about including an article on the history of Viagra on this blogsite. The questions that arose were: is that really something that people want to know about? Is there something else that we could include that would be more interesting and educational? Etc, etc. However, we came to a conclusion that the history of Viagra is an interesting read and that people might both learn something that they never knew before and that they might begin to appreciate this medication more if they learned a bit about its history.
The story about the history of Viagra would not be complete without first mentioning the days when there was no Viagra. Namely, it was only in 1998 that Viagra came out and became the first medication for erectile dysfunction that got the approval of the Food and Drugs Administration and similar regulatory agencies and bodies from other countries. Up until then, the situation for men who suffered from erectile dysfunction was much bleaker and the condition itself seemed like an insurmountable problem.
Different cultures from different parts of the world all have their traditional medicines for the problem of erectile dysfunction. While some cultures have employed different aphrodisiacs in the past, others relied on natural sources of ingredients that improve circulation and were thus expected to improve the potency. This all sounds great on paper, but in reality, these medicines have been less than effective to say the least. The aphrodisiacs have long been debunked as a myth and other natural ingredients have also been proven largely ineffective. However, due to the placebo effect of these different ingredients, these remedies enjoyed a certain level of popularity in the old days.
It all started to change in the 1990s when Pfizer started working on Sildenafil, a new medication for hypertension (high blood pressure). As the research went on, they discovered that it was not exactly the most efficient hypertension drug on the market. However, it was noticed that men with ED started reporting that they were able to achieve healthy erections since they started taking Sildenafil. It is then when Pfizer decided to take an entirely new course of action and try and perfect a medication for erectile dysfunction.
They applied it for the FDA approval and after long and arduous approval process that involved innumerable studies and research into its efficiency and safety; the FDA decided that Sildenafil can be sold for treatment of erectile dysfunction. In 1998, Sildenafil became available world-wide under the name Viagra which has since become one of the most popular medications in the world.
The reasons why it managed to become such a famous drug were many and varied. First of all, there was now a medication that definitely treats erectile dysfunction and definitely addresses this issue with much success. Viagra also gave birth to a whole class of drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors (due to its mechanism of action), the class that later saw inclusion of Levitra and Cialis. Viagra also helped bring the issue of erectile dysfunction into the mainstream. Namely, it became possible to talk about this problem openly and without embarrassment. It became just another medical condition for which there is a cure and which is no different than any other condition.
Ever since it came out, Viagra has been the most widely sold ED medication, which was understandable considering that until 2003 it was the only one. However, even when Cialis and Levitra came out, Viagra managed to stay on the top of the list of best sold ED medications. Its brand and its documented safety and efficiency have truly made it one of the great medications in the history.