Viagra - The History of the Medication's Creation

Let us tell you today about the most famous drug for treating erectile dysfunction, Viagra.

Like many world discoveries, the properties of Viagra were discovered by accident during the development of a new drug for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

What Was Viagra Originally Invented For

It was assumed that by relaxing the muscles and expanding the walls of blood vessels, blood pressure would be reduced, and the cardiovascular system would work better. The task of scientists was to find an enzyme inhibitor that prevents the dilation of blood vessels. The search took several years and, as a result, was successful - a compound called sildenafil citrate was synthesized. In 1991, Pfizer patented the drug and began trials.

In 1992, in the English town of Sandwich, three scientists from Pfizer, Robert Fairchgott, Feride Murada, and Luis Ignarro, conducted clinical trials of the drug Sildenafil Citrate, which was supposed to solve many heart problems (promote blood flow to the heart, reduce blood pressure, reduce angina pain), but the trials were unsuccessful. However, volunteers who tested the effects of the new drug told about an unusual effect - an increase in potency.

Who Invented Viagra

Jan Osterlo of the company's research and development department quickly realized that this effect could be considered a breakthrough. And although sildenafil was ineffective in optimizing blood circulation in the heart, it perfectly coped with the blood flow to the pelvic organs. It is noteworthy that the drug acts only on the natural mechanisms of erection - it increases blood flow to the penis only when a man feels sexual desire.

Pfizer decided to continue researching the drug, but already differently - to enhance natural potency. The research went beyond England and continued in France, Sweden, Norway, and other countries, causing unprecedented excitement among patients who participated in the experiment. Some even tried to steal the pills from the laboratory.

When Was Viagra Approved

In 1996, a sufficient evidence base of the efficacy and safety of pills with the active ingredient sildenafil was gathered, and the company raised the question of the commercial name of the drug. As a result of heated debates, they settled on the neologism Viagra, which combines two words - vigor (vigor, strength) and Niagara (the largest waterfall in the United States).

In 1998, Viagra was approved by the appropriate authorities of the United States and entered the market. By the end of that year, the income of the company Pfizer from sales of Viagra was a billion dollars, and the scientists who discovered the drug by chance received the Nobel Prize.