Hmmm.... (thinking).... Whadda ya wanna bet that THIS drug is one drug that
the FDA will OK in the first 30 seconds after it receives it from the maker,
and it'll be out on the market 2 minutes after that?  And the next PD drug
will STILL take a year or more to get the FDA approval..? <it ain't fair!>
(rueful chuckle)

Barb Mallut
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From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of janet paterson
Sent:   Tuesday, September 09, 1997 4:15 AM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        NEWS: Gender: Pill could enhance a man's sexual performance

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Pill could enhance a man's sexual performance
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(September 9, 1997 01:39 a.m. EDT) -- It's the stuff that dreams are made
of: A pill that you pop an hour before sex that can revive your flagging
sex drive and give you back the stamina of an 18-year-old.

Now, it seems, the fantasy is about to become reality.-- in the shape of
sildenafil, a new drug developed by the U.S.-based company Pfizer.

The discovery that sildenafil could enhance sexual performance in men with
erectile problems was a lucky break: the drug was originally developed in
Britain for the treatment of angina.

Already doctors in the United States, where many of the clinical trials
were carried out, are raving about it.

"It's the kind of drug I've always dreamed about,"' says Dr. Irwin
Goldstein, professor of urology at Boston University Medical School.

He stresses that sildenafil is not an aphrodisiac. "It doesn't increase or
enhance sexual drive -- it can only be effective when a man is sexually
stimulated, but in those situations it can improve and prolong erections,"'
he says.

When a man becomes sexually stimulated, there is a cascade of chemical
reactions in the penis which relax the muscles, allowing increased blood
flow which, in turn, produces an erection.

In men with erectile problems this cascade mechanism is impaired in some
way and the muscle relaxation and engorgement of the penis are curtailed by
the release of a further chemical.

Sildenafil works by blocking this second chemical reaction, enabling the
muscles to relax and increasing blood flow so the man is able to develop
and maintain an erection.

The drug, a single tablet, has to be taken about an hour before intercourse.

"What makes it revolutionary is that it is the first oral treatment which
can be used on demand before intercourse,"' says Goldstein.

"It is selective to the penis, and the side-effects -- which tend to be
those associated with intercourse anyway, such as nasal stuffiness and
facial reddening -- are minimal."'

The British reaction to sildenafil has been enthusiastic, although quieter.

"The results of the trials so far are very encouraging,"' agrees Dr. Alan
Riley, honorary consultant in human sexuality at St. George's Hospital
Medical School in London.

"There is no doubt that sildenafil will be an effective treatment for some
men -- those with mild to moderate impotence -- although it's not a panacea
that will work for everyone."'

He emphasizes the importance of addressing relationship issues, too.

"I would like to see sildenafil brought in as an adjunct to sexual therapy
rather than a treatment in its own right. We mustn't forget that having the
means to get an erection doesn't necessarily mean a man is going to be able
to do it."'

With impotence affecting an estimated one in 10 men in the developed world,
anything that can offer a solution has a potentially massive application,
especially when compared with such current treatments as penile implants,
vacuum sheaths and self-injection of the penis with a drug that dilates the
blood vessels.

Although Pfizer insists the drug will be marketed only for the treatment of
impotence, Goldstein is certain there will be a huge demand from other men
who simply want to boost their sexual performance.

"It is designed for impotence,"' he says, "but people like sexual activity
and the thought of being able to take a pill to have a better sex life is a
very attractive one. I can see college kids putting it in their partners'
drinks."'

In the long term it's not just men who will benefit. There is evidence that
the drug can help women.

Because sildenafil improves local blood flow, it can improve engorgement,
increasing sensitivity and alleviating problems with dryness -- something
that particularly affects post-menopausal women and can make sex painful
and uncomfortable.

Dr. Tom Lue, professor of urology at the University of California at San
Francisco, says there is enormous interest in sildenafil. "It's quite
possible that there could be a black market in the drug,"' he says. "We're
getting phone calls from all over the U.S. from people who want to get hold
of it."'

Pfizer hopes to submit sildenafil to the Food and Drug Administration and
to Britain's Medicines Control Agency later this year, so it will be some
time before it becomes available.

By ANNE MONTAGUE, The Guardian
Copyright 1997 Nando.net
Copyright 1997 Scripps Howard
<http://www.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/health/090997/health31_14589_noframes.html>
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