Sildenafil – The multi-purpose drug of the twentieth century

Sildenafil, or better known by its branded name Viagra is currently one of the best selling drugs on the pharmaceutical market since its inception in the 1990s. An excess of 7.4 million prescriptions in twelve months (from October 2013 and September 2014) was reported by the popular health information website Medscape, and since the recent loss of Pfizer’s European patent on the product, generic sildenafil offering competition has increased significantly.

NEOGRA(sildenafil)

Sildenafil initially started as a target for the cGMP/NO pathway, in order to exploit nitric oxide’s vasodilatory effect in vivo. A phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor in the same research campus that developed the ever popular calcium channel blocker amplodipine and alpha 1 antagonist prazosin was then discovered. Sildenafil was being analysed initially for its potentially therapeutic effects on ischaemic heart disease for conditions such as angina pectoris. With an undesirable pharmacokinetic profile in hypertension management, patient side effect reporting of penile erections and an increased knowledge of the cause of erectile dysfunction, a different approach to research was undertaken which lead to the discovery of what is now a very commonly known erectile dysfunction treatment . Sildenafil and other PDE5 inhibitors alike have now been indicated in the treatment of ED with concominant conditions whereby sexual function is now understood to be decreased, such as in the case of diabetes, depression and following prostatectomies.

Sildenafil is now being recognised for a multitude of other conditions, however. It has a particular relevance to the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension, where a blockade between the vessel which delivers oxygenated blood to the heart from the lungs leads to dizziness as well as onto severe diseases such as congestive heart failure, where the patient will require additional infection control, an increase in monitoring from health care professionals and not to mention a severe decrease in quality of life. PDE5 receptors are also found in the smooth muscle of arteries in the pulmonary circulatory system and thus a blockade provided by sildenafil increases nitric oxide, promoting vasodilation and allowing for proper blood flow. Sildenafil is recommended for patients with pulmonary artery hypertension as a regimen of 20 mg three times daily from the British National Formulary, February 2015.

Sildenafil’s potential as a multi-purpose drug has also had a new breath of life in the field of treating jet lag, something which does not have concrete treatment regimens or require several doses before a pharmacotherapeutically meaningful dose can be built up. As reported in 2007, an Argentinian research group treated hamsters with sildenafil following a six hour disturbance to their general circadian light pattern, which is thought to be controlled by a cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cGMP) cascade, which is stimulated by PDE5 activation . Sub erectogenic dosages of sildenafil in hamsters displayed a shortened time for adjustment to changes when the adjustment was set forward, which would be representative of traveling west-to-east, typically what is seen as the more difficult journey to complete for people. This does require further studies including in humans to assure that this also has the same effect, but hopefully there will be more advances made in years to come.

Sildenafil is provided Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals in film coated tablet forms, in 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg dosages. Taj Accura strive to provide the most competitively priced pharmaceuticals to an international market, and are passionate about re-investing into research and innvovation in order to offer the most state-of-the-art products to the world.Sildenafil – The multi-purpose drug of the twentieth century – Taj Dearob Pharma |Sildenafil, or better known by its branded name Viagra is currently one of the best selling drugs on the pharmaceutical market since its inception in the 1990s. An excess of 7.4 million prescriptions in twelve months (from October 2013 and September 2014) was reported by the popular health information website Medscape, and since the recent loss of Pfizer’s European patent on the product, generic sildenafil offering competition has increased significantly.
Sildenafil – The multi-purpose drug of the twentieth century – Taj Dearob Pharma |Sildenafil, or better known by its branded name Viagra is currently one of the best selling drugs on the pharmaceutical market since its inception in the 1990s. An excess of 7.4 million prescriptions in twelve months (from October 2013 and September 2014) was reported by the popular health information website Medscape, and since the recent loss of Pfizer’s European patent on the product, generic sildenafil offering competition has increased significantly.
Sildenafil – The multi-purpose drug of the twentieth century – Taj Dearob Pharma |Sildenafil, or better known by its branded name Viagra is currently one of the best selling drugs on the pharmaceutical market since its inception in the 1990s. An excess of 7.4 million prescriptions in twelve months (from October 2013 and September 2014) was reported by the popular health information website Medscape, and since the recent loss of Pfizer’s European patent on the product, generic sildenafil offering competition has increased significantly.