Celebrating the U.S. F.D.A. approving its use as an oral medication for erectile dysfunction (E.D.).
Why was the discovery so important?
It made talking about sex less shameful.
It urged men to be more open about their health.
It enlightened the world about the prevalence of male impotence.
It provided a solution for ED.
It improves circulation and affects blood vessels to the sexual organs and other parts of the body.
It improves the quality of life for many men.... and women.
How about a little History?
1989
British scientists working for Pfizer, Peter Dunn and Albert Wood, noticed a consistent curious side effect when the clinical trial volunteers reported an increase in erections 30 - 60 minutes after taking the "proposed" blood pressure and angina medication.
Is that where the term "get Wood" came from?
1996
Pfizer patents sildenafil citrate in the United States.
March 27, 1998
The FDA approves the use of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction.
In the following weeks, U.S. pharmacists dispense more than 40,000 Viagra prescriptions.
Sales of Viagra were a whopping billion $ in the first year!!
The public consciousness of Erectile dysfunction and male impotence was enormous.
May 1998
TIME magazine’s cover story, “The Potency Pill” quotes Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione as saying he believes Viagra will “free the American male libido” from the emasculating doings of feminists.
Feminists were not amused.😤
June 1998
Newsweek calls Viagra the “hottest new drug in history almost everywhere in the world.” At the time Viagra is only legal in the US, Brazil, Morocco, and Mexico, but Newsweek reports growing black market sales in other countries.
December 1998
75 year old former Republican Senator Bob Dole is hired for Viagra’s first T.V. ad.
The Washington Post reports that the CIA is using Viagra to gain friends in Afghanistan. “While the CIA has a long history of buying information with cash, the growing Taliban insurgency has prompted the use of novel incentives and creative bargaining to gain support in some of the country’s roughest neighborhoods, according to officials directly involved in such operations.”
Maybe they could keep the Taliban "busy" and happy.🤪
July 25, 1999
In the “Sex and the City” episode “The Man, The Myth, The Viagra,” Samantha is dating a Viagra-popping rich, older man.
In the next season, Samantha takes the little blue pill herself to enhance her sexual experiences.
2000
522 patients died while taking Viagra in the first year the drug was on the market, Dr. Kaul told WebMD.
“Our data appear to suggest that there’s a relatively high number of deaths and adverse cardiovascular events associated with the use of Viagra. I want to emphasize that in no way are we trying to imply a cause-and-effect relationship”.
Maybe they were just out of shape for so much sex??
August 19, 2003
The FDA approves two other ED drugs.
However, the side effects of Cialis are similar to Viagra. Men with Cardiac and blood pressure problems are advised against taking either.
2005
New studies show, the popularity of impotence drugs like Viagra may end up dwindling the demand to poach some threatened animals for traditional Asian cures.
2006
Rush Limbaugh is detained at a Florida airport after a bottle of Viagra, with a name other than his on the label, was found in his luggage. Limbaugh’s attorney says his doctor had prescribed the Viagra under a different name “for privacy purposes”.
I'm not touching that one..🙊
2006
60-year-old Sylvester Stallone’s movie “Rocky Balboa” gives rise (pun intended) to the use of aging male leads who continue to show physical, mental, and sexual prowess.
2010
The film “Love and Other Drugs” is loosely based on the book “Hard Sell: Evolution of a Viagra Salesman,"
written by a former Pfizer employee Jamie Reidy who claimed to be the company’s leading and hardest driving (pun intended) Viagra salesman.
2010
Actor Michael Douglas makes headlines when he admits that he has used ED drugs with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. “Bless her that she likes older guys,” he says. “Some wonderful enhancements have happened in the last few years – Viagra, Cialis – that can make us all feel younger.”
Happy wife, happy life.🥰
2011
A federal judge extends Pfizer’s U.S. patent for Viagra, making sure generic brands cannot come to market until 2019.
April 2012
The FDA approves a new ED drug called avanafil, which will be sold under the brand name Stendra.
🧐 (interesting name;-)
An estimated 30 million men suffer from ED.
Ad campaigns are not just targeting older men, but men in their 30s and 40s.
The long-term effects of Viagra on men’s health are still unclear (Viagra does carry warnings for those who suffer from heart trouble), but its popularity is still going strong.💪🏼
Viagra currently holds 45% of the sexual dysfunction market share, with competitor Cialis coming up close behind…🤜🏼
How can you celebrate VIAGRA DAY?
Wear blue.
Go on a marathon date.
Watch movies starring older men and younger women, like “Entrapment,” “Autumn in New York,” and “As Good as it Gets” all have actors who are at least 20 years older than their leading ladies.
Celebrate a happy accident.🤪
If you use Viagra remember to:
Use it under medical supervision.
Buy it from a licensed pharmacist.
Take as directed.
It only works when you are sexually aroused.
Lessen alcohol intake. It lowers blood pressure, which can cause dizziness and worsens ED.
Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. It has substances that slow down the breakdown of sildenafil in your body, increasing the risks of side effects.
