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Viagra is safe, assures discoverer; Pfizer working on passion pill for females

Former senior vice-president (research and development) of Pfizer pharmaceutical company, Professor Simon Campbell, the man who discovered the wonder-drug Viagra for erectile dysfunction in men, denied that deaths were reported because of ill-effects from the recently introduced drug.

Viagra is a serious drug and it has to be taken after proper medical prescription. Those who died were all cardio-vascular patients, he told the media in Bombay on Thursday.

Professor Campbell is in India to attend the 50th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress, jointly held with the 17th Asian Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

He said the drug was clinically tested and has been introduced in the market after 13 years of research. The pioneering drug which has been placed as a US fast-track research product was also approved by the Food and Drug Administration Department of the US.

Over five million prescriptions have been given to as many as three million patients. There was no risk involved, he assured.

Professor Campbell pointed out that those who have died were above the age of 55 and had cardiovascular problems. He said the company has studied each and every case carefully and found that Viagra was not the cause of death. It is a serious drug and only to be taken after proper medical advice, he warned.

Pfizer is currently conducting phase two clinical trials with sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in Europe for female sexual dysfunction. The drug for males may also be improved, it is learnt.

Professor Campbell rated his discovery of amlodipine, a cardiovascular drug, as his personal best.

UNI

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