More than 30 million men in the U.S. are affected by erectile dysfunction (ED). Current ED drugs on the market include Pfizer Inc.’s Viagra, Eli Lilly’s Cialis and GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer’s drug Levitra.

Avanafil: New Erectile Dysfunction Drug

The well known biotech company, Vivus announced the approval of a new erectile dysfunction drug,Stendra (avanafil). This FDA approved ED drug is a PDE5 inhibitor and is the forth member of this class of compounds to be approved for ED.

History

On April 27th 2012, the new erectile dysfunction drug avanfil was approved and in fact, the first new ED agent drug approved in a decade. Peter Tan the president of Vivus stated “Patients and treating physicians continue to report significant dissatisfaction with current treatments of ED. We believe that the PDE5 selectivity and absorption profile of Stendra make it an important new treatment option for many men for erectile dysfunction.”

There may, in fact, be a good reason why no new ED agent has been approved in over a decade. No one has been willing to compete in this well served field. Viagra and Cialis are well established drugs. They are two of the best recognized trade names in the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, Stendra doesn’t appear to offer any major benefits over the entrenched leaders.

“This is potentially the fastest acting of the four,” Dr. Wayne Hellstrom, professor of urology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, told Reuters. Patients taking Stendra are recommended to take the drug 30 minutes before sexual activity but clinical trials have shown the drug works as fast as 15 minutes. Viagra may take an hour to start working, Reuters reported.

Side effects

The main side effects of avanafil are similar to those of its sister drugs: headache, flushing, stuffy nose, and back pain. Rarely, an erection lasting for four or more hours may occur, which would need immediate medical attention. Other side effects occurring rarely include color vision changes, sudden loss of vision, and sudden loss of hearing. If sudden loss of vision or hearing occurs, it is recommended to call a doctor immediately.

Visit our health clinic to see if this New Erectile Dysfunction Drug is right for you.