What is Viagra

  • Viagra is the trade name of the medicinal compound Sildenafil Citrate.
    It was originally synthesised by a group of chemists working in the UK.
    At the time they were looking for candidate medicines benificial in treating high blood pressure.
  • Clinical trials for high blood pressure proved of little value but during tests it became apparent that Sildenafil Citrate was capable, during arousal of producing erections in those taking it!
    More significantly it was observed to be capable of producing erection in men who had previously been diagnosed as sexually impotent.
  • Due to it's unexpected properties, and after clinical trials as an erectile dysfuntion medication, in 1996 Pfizer patented Sildenafil Citrate under the name Viagra for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. And it was approved for this use, in the USA, by the FDA.

    Who Makes Viagra?

  • Pfizer patented and has sole title to the registered trade mark Viagra.
    Pfizer are the only company allowed to market Viagra under this name.
  • There are a number of pharmaceutical laboratories worldwide that produce Viagra's active component Sildenafil Citrate.
    Sildenafil Citrate is marketed by various pharmaceutical companies under their own brand names.
    Names you might see are Caverta, Kamagra, Edegra, Penegra, Silagra, Zenagra.
    All of these contain Sildenafil Citrate and have the same mechanism of action that Viagra does.
    By and large, all provide the same dosages as Viagra, 25mg, 50mg and 100mg.
  • You might also come across gel versions of these products. These have the advantage that they are faster acting and are meant to be absorbed in the mouth rather than swallowed.
  • Sildenafil Citrate is also produced and marketed in tablet form as generic viagra.
  • In all cases, where it is manufactured in World Health Organisation or FDA approved laboratories, the end products are chemically identical.

    Where and When Was Viagra Discovered?

    Sildenafil Citrate was discovered at Pfizer's Sandwich, Kent research laboratories in the UK in 1990.
    The compound which Pfizer eventually trademarked as Viagra was originally given the unassuming name UK-92,480.

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