Quite possibly every males’ worst nightmare is to find out that in the heat of the moment they are not able to perform, unable to get an erection. Fortunately we are in the 21st century where all of the medical research is really starting to pay off as there are a number of different remedies available for erectile dysfunction and even some quick fixes as a temporary solution.
One such solution was introduced in March of 1998 in the form of a pill called Viagra; a drug that claimed to be somewhere between 70 and 80% effective in helping men suffering from impotence. It was predicted that it may just become the number one seller in the pharmaceuticals industry, predicting as much as $3 billion dollars a year in sales.
Even though only about half of all men between 40 and 70 years old state they have trouble getting or keeping an erection the rush for this drug does indeed suggest that it is probably a higher percentage citing that impotence is a fragile subject for most men so it is very likely that it is under reported.
It didn’t take long for men to start heading to their doctor’s office for this pill; as a matter of fact as quickly as the middle of April 1998 they were already approximately 40,000 prescriptions being written every day; topped only by Prozac (the best selling antidepressant in the world) which boasts about 70,000 prescriptions a day. Of course when you consider some of the other treatments available prior to this pill, like implant surgery, injections of different drugs and genital suppositories, it is no wonder that there was a huge rush for this wonder drug.
You can thank the men participating in clinical trials for angina and chest pain treatments as this is what the drug was originally intended to treat. While those results were disappointing they did notice some rather interesting side effects which included prolonged and increased erections. Yep, rather than sending more blood to the heart it increased the blood flowing to the penis. Thank you clinical trials!
