Viagra celebrates its 20 years: a look back on a successful global

AFP

AFP

Monday, 26 march, 2018 06:05

UPDATE
Monday, 26 march, 2018 06:08

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PARIS | Launched exactly 20 years in the United States, Viagra has been sold in billions of copies, becoming a source of income unhoped-for its u.s. manufacturer, Pfizer, and for pirates around the world.

Of its discovery comical in its indirect use through its many counterfeits, return of the iconic blue pill for impotence.

Coincidence

In the early 90’s, the teams of the laboratory Pfizer are experimenting with a new drug against angina, sildenafil citrate. Over trials, the new molecule is powerless to calm down the anxiety chest pain caused by this evil.

But the medication comes in men an unexpected effect: an erection. And most of the human guinea pigs report a sexual life greatly improved.

Pfizer is re-orienting its research towards male impotence, a disorder that affects a third of men over the age of 40. The treatment of “erectile dysfunction” is, until then the poor relation of the pharmacopoeia with modern treatments neither practical nor efficient (mini-suppositories introduced into the urethra, perforation of the penis).

The u.s. Agency drug administration (FDA) gave the green light for the new treatment on march 27, 1998. It’s sold under the name of Viagra starts in early April in the United States.

Smash hit

The success of the blue pill in the shape of a diamond is immediate: 150 000 prescriptions are written in the United States in the first two weeks of marketing.

Viagra has aroused a global craze, even prior to its authorisation, outside of the american soil. It appears under the cloak in Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia since the spring of 98 at rates three to five times higher than the legal price united states (about 10 dollars).

After you have landed officially in Europe in September 1998, the pill against the impotence quickly becomes a locomotive of financial for Pfizer.

Global sales of Viagra soar by more than 30% in 1999 and 2000, exceeding rapidly the billion dollars annual. A surprise for the pharmaceutical group, which was hoped initially that a hundred million dollars in revenue per year.

Counterfeits to shovel

Advertising campaigns are served by an ex-republican candidate for the white House (Bob Dole in 1999) or by a king brazilian football (Pelé in 2002) sit for a little bit more the awareness of a drug that the scientific data say that it begins to work, on average, 27 minutes after taking.

Quickly counterfeit products are circulating: fake viagra manufactured in Thailand or in India is offered on the internet a few weeks after the debut of its marketing.

The crooks have figured out they were with this pill blue a gold mine. Viagra is quickly at the head of the counterfeit drugs. Seizures of fake pills by customs is increasing.

A survey conducted in 2011 by Pfizer shows that 80% of Viagra purchased randomly on the internet is counterfeit. This fake Viagra may contain toxic chemicals such as pesticides, plaster, or ink for printers, warns the american firm.

Misuse

The abuse or “recreational” Viagra appears just as quickly. In 1999 a british study shows the use of marginal but real the blue pill among young people who are accustomed to night clubs.

In 2012, an american study estimates that 8% of young americans who use viagra or other “facilitators of erection” (Cialis, Levitra) in the aim above all to reassure themselves on their sexual performance.

Viagra, whose generic forms are available for 2013 in Europe and since the end of 2017 in the United States, is also experienced as doping by athletes.

After hesitation, the world anti-doping Agency (WADA) does the registrant not ultimately on the list of banned products: sildenafil citrate would not effect a dopant, except in high altitude.