Pfizer Emerges Victorious in China Viagra Patent Battle

Following a six year legal battle, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has successfully defended its Chinese patent on the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. As reported in Chinese in the 21st Century Economic Report on Nov. 1, the Beijing High People's Court has issued a final judgment on the patent dispute. Rejecting a patent challenge from 12 domestic drug manufacturers, the high court's final judgment grants Pfizer patent protection on Viagra until 2014.

Pfizer initially filed a Chinese patent application in May 1994 for the use of Sildenafil (Viagra) in the treatment of erectile dysfunction treatment.

After seven years of investigation, the China State Intellectual Property Office [SIPO] granted the patent in 2001. The patent was challenged by 12 domestic Chinese drug companies that claimed to have invested over US$12 million to produce generic versions of the drug.In July of 2004, SIPO's Patent Review Bureau invalidated Pfizer's patent. The rejection was based on a claimed lack of data in the application to support Viagra's specific therapeutic effect. The ruling sparked international attention and became a high profile test case for China's commitment to the protection of intellectual property rights.

Pfizer immediately challenged the decision, and in June 2006 the Beijing Intermediate People's Court ruled in favor of Pfizer after one and half years of review. This ruling was appealed by the domestic drug manufacturers to the Beijing High People's Court. The High Court on Thursday rejected the appeal and instructed SIPO to withdraw its opposition to the drug.

The decision should reaffirm Viagra's position in the Chinese market for erectile dysfunction drugs. It is estimated that the combined legitimate and underground markets for ED drugs in China is CNY 20 billion (US$2.7 billion). Pfizer still faces some challenges however. Earlier this year the company lost a trademark infringement case with a domestic maker of sildenafil over the usage of the brand "Wei Ge" or "Mighty Brother". "Wei Ge" is the trade name used by Pfizer to market the drug in China. Pfizer has filed an appeal.

Source: www.seekingalpha.com

Viagra Protects Hearts

Common drugs for erectile dysfunction may be better than nitroglycerin at protecting the heart after a severe heart attack.

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond compared nitroglycerin to Viagra (sildenafil) and Levitra (vardenafil) to see how effective the two drugs were at protecting the heart after a heart attack. Nitroglycerin is commonly used to treat angina or chest pain because it opens blood vessels to improve blood flow to the heart.

Study authors report both Viagra and Levitra reduced damage in the heart muscle of animals when it was given after a severe heart attack, but nitroglycerin did not.

"Erectile dysfunction drugs can prevent damage in the heart not only when given before a heart attack, as we discovered previously, but they also lessen the injury after the heart attack," writes lead author Rakesh C. Kukreja, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Kukreja says the protective effects of erectile dysfunction drugs may help patients having elective procedures like coronary artery bypass grafts, angioplasties, or heart transplants. The drugs could also be used to prevent the organ damage that often occurs after cardiac arrest, resuscitation or shock.

"Preserving heart function is critical to optimal cardiac outcomes," writes George W. Vetrovec, M.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University. "These agents have significant potential to enhance patient outcomes, particularly in high risk circumstances, such as acute heart attacks."

Source: Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 2007;42:453-458

Pornography May Cause Impotence

There is an epidemic of impotence on college campuses, according to the Washington Post, and the cause may be "loose women and too much booze." The article reports that young men can usually get sex whenever they want because, according to surveys, many young women are as likely to initiate sex as men, which removes the "age old, erotic power of the chase." (Strange that the women as defined as the loose ones.)

When performance anxiety is paired with binge drinking and drugs it is no surprise that more and more young men are visiting college clinics. The pharmaceutical companies are well aware of this: Viagra is now using younger men in their commercials in order to attract a new customer base. However, there is an additional cause of impotence - pornography, especially internet pornography. Author Thomas A. Szyszkiewcs in his rebuttal to the Kinsey Report, writes that pornography is implicated in impotence as well as harassment and sexual crimes. Men become so desensitized to sexual stimulation after hours of viewing porn that they are often unable to sexually respond to their wives or partners.

In addition, today's music videos often portray women in cheap, tawdry poses, with body language that grinds and pleads for the male singer, who is usually depicted as virile and pimp-like. Demeaning lyrics in most rap songs implicate women as whores. Even primetime television has increased the "rawness factor" of its sexual content which, when combined with all the other factors, provide a large number of reasons to choose from when trying to decide what exactly is the cause of this national epidemic of impotence.

Judith Reisman, PhD explains, "The proliferation of pornography into mainstream America spreads impotence as a natural outcome of moral apathy." Men want a significant intimate emotional relationship with commitment just as women do, even though society would have us believe the opposite. The Canadian Supreme Court ruled that all pornography was toxic in 1992. Reisman says that "cures like Viagra conceal the dysfunctional and anxiety causing role played by pornography in promoting impotence."

The Oprah Winfrey show, among others, has covered marriages affected by porn-addicted husbands, in which therapy can help restore the family. Although the Washington Post article did not offer a solution to the impotence problem, shining light on the issue can be a beginning on the path to help for many. As for the solution to too much porn on the internet; those who support freedom of speech will be a large obstacle to any attempt at controlling the porn epidemic.

Source: www.thechaparral.com

One in five erectile problems medically treated

An estimated 1.5 million of Polish men have erectile dysfunction problems, according to a survey conducted by the Polish Society for Sexual Medicine (PTMS) in cooperation with Pfizer and OBOP.

Nearly 9,000 patients were surveyed in 2005-2007.

The survey results indicate that erectile dysfunction is not a problem associated only with age. Although it usually affects older men, i.e. those over 51, even men under 30 can face the problem. Doctors predict that the average age of men with erectile dysfunction will continue to fall in the future due to poor diet, lack of physical activity, and lifestyle diseases such as hypertension or diabetes.

Erectile dysfunction problems are usually caused by prostate dysfunction and hypertension in older men, and depression or neurological problems in younger ones. The problem is often associated with anabolic steroid use. Every fifth man under 30 with erectile problems takes steroids.

According to the survey, only 21% of men decide to treat the problem with medication (Cialis, Levitra, Viagra), while 27% buy preparations available without prescription, such as herbs, vitamins etc. whose efficacy has not been proven.

Source : Polishmarket

Erectile Dysfunction Blamed on Stress

Stress is one of the primary causes of erectile dysfunction, according to a leading sexual health expert.

Dr John Tomlinson, director of the Sexual Dysfunction Association, claims that men typically suffer due to a combination of psychological and physical factors.

Physical reasons for erectile dysfunction include diabetes, vascular disease, veno-occlusive disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as damage from surgery to the pelvic area. Frequently, however, there will also be psychological barriers to sexual fulfilment, driven principally by stress.

"The older the person, the more likely there is to be a physical cause," Dr Tomlinson said. "But in the younger man – I'm talking about under 50 – it seems to be on the whole a stress-related thing."

Anxiety and stress is particularly common among men in their 20s and 30s, he added, when nerves can play a part.

Erectile dysfunction is also something of a vicious circle, because knowledge of a physical problem almost inevitably leads to stress.

"Once you know there's a physical problem you get very anxious, start worrying about it and make it worse," he said.

Dr Tomlinson has insisted that erectile dysfunction among younger men is "extraordinarily common".

"If you've got a young guy with a young wife and small children and they're working hard and not getting much sleep, things tend to go wrong," he said. "For younger men, there are two common problems: one is relationship problems, they've fallen out of love with one woman and are interested in another, but then they can't perform with the new one - the problem of first-time nerves.

"The other one is someone who fails on one occasion and starts to worry whether they'll succeed the second time around – and then inevitably he'll fail because he's anxious."

The secret, he added, is to reassure the individual. "Very often, one tablet of one of these PDE5 inhibitors [such as Viagra] will give them the confidence to go on," he said.

On the other hand, Dr Tomlinson has observed that erectile dysfunction can be a sign that there are other underlying physical problems that need to be addressed. "Erectile dysfunction can be a warning sign," he said.

Source : Keepthedoctoraway

Perhaps Viagra Can Soften Jet Lag's Impact

Erectile Dysfunction Drug Shows Promise in Animal Study. New research suggests the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may have unexpected benefits for weary travelers. The little blue pill known for making time in the bed more enjoyable may also help weary jet travelers roll out of it in the morning.

New research shows Viagra may be the solution for travelers who suddenly find themselves needing to rise hours earlier as they cross time zones, at least if those travelers are hamsters.

A study at the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Buenos Aires showed that male hamsters who received an injection of sildenafil along with a 15-minute stimulation of light were able to adjust their internal clocks by six hours in roughly half the time that hamsters who did not receive the treatment took.

Sildenafil is the active ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Because humans and mammals have similar daily cycles, "there's no reason not to believe it should work in humans," said Diego Golombek, the lead investigator on the study.

At the same time, because the test was only done in animals, Golombek urged restraint for people thinking of trying it out.

"This is a study in laboratory animals, and clinical trials should be undertaken before deciding whether Viagra is a useful and safe treatment for those situations," he said.

Rise and Shine

Sildenafil works by sustaining a molecule that increases blood flow. Because that signaling molecule is sensitive to light, Golombek said, increasing its quantity makes the system more responsive to a change in patterns of light and dark.

At the same time, the researchers found that sildenafil citrate was useful only for simulations of eastward travel. They found it ineffective when lengthening days to simulate travel westward.
While other treatments exist for jet lag, Golombek said that his research presents a novel approach to the problem -- using what is "generally a safe drug."

Viagra, he said, has been heavily studied for safety and effectiveness, so setting up a clinical trial "should be quite straightforward."

Source: ABC News

How diabetes linked to erectile dysfunction

A recent study revealed that men have diabetes can have a problem with erectile dysfunction or impotence. Erectile dysfunction occurs in all men with type 1 diabetes as well as in those with the type 2 diabetes. Acccording to that study men thought who are suffering with sexual dysfunction, diabetes is a third most common and important complications - after kidney disease and blindness and they also have good reason for it. Only not in men diabetes may affect the sexual function of women too.

Nerves and blood vessels are two main factors related to damage diabetes. Because diabetes can lead to hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the spongy (erectile) tissue of the penis. So good sexual function requires good circulation and flow of blood to the genitals and that flow and circulation is primarily controlled by internal organs like heart and bladder which are controlled by nerves of the autonomic nervous system. And the blood vessels are part of the cardiovascular system and function to transport blood throughout in the whole body.

Higher your LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) level the more risk factors like you have triglycerides (other than LDL), the greater your risk of developing heart disease and diabetic patient have greater risk of developing it as compare to healthy person. Diabectics should be keep their LDL below 100 mg/dl - as low as 70 or 80 if possible.

For men, taking PDE5 Inhibiting Drugs to overcome ED .PDE5 help a man achieve and maintain an erection PDE-5 inhibitor drugs, such as first Viagra later Cilais and Levitra. This class of drugs work by promoting dilation of blood vessels and increase blood flow into the penis. These drug effective for erectile dysfunction related to either hypertension or diabetes, although less so for diabetes.

Apart from that, it also make sense to keep your blood pressure in target range, to quit smoking and start exercising and turn better sexual health.

What to do about Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is very common. Depending upon how you define ED, there are 15 million to 30 million men who have it. ED ranges from complete impotence to unsatisfactory performance.

But it doesn't have to be a part of getting older. As you age, you may need more stimulation and more time, but older men should still be able to get an erection and enjoy sex.

The incidence of ED increases with age. Between 15 and 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience this problem. In older men, ED usually has a physical cause, such as a drug side effect, disease or injury. Anything that damages the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis can cause ED.

The following are some leading causes of erectile dysfunction: diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), prostate surgery, hormone imbalance, alcohol and drug abuse.

And, of course, there are your emotions. It should be no surprise that, if you’re having a relationship problem with your sex partner, you can suffer from ED. Here are some other psychological influences: anxiety over a previous failure, everyday stress, depression, and feeling unattractive to your partner. If you’re suffering from ED, you should see your doctor for a discussion and physical exam.

Monitoring erections that occur during sleep can help the diagnosis.

Healthy men have involuntary erections during sleep. If nocturnal erections do not occur, then ED is likely to have a physical rather than psychological cause. Tests of nocturnal erections are not completely reliable, however.

The cause of the ED will determine the treatment. Some ED medicines are injected into the penis. Other medicines are taken orally. In addition to medicines, there are vacuum pump devices and surgery.

Millions of men have benefited from drugs like Viagra that treat ED. Viagra improve the response to sexual stimulation, but they do not trigger an automatic erection as injections do.

“Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction Are Interrelated “, Say Researchers

Men who smoke cigarettes are at a high risk of having erectile dysfunction, reveals the study conducted by Tulane University researchers.

Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study was performed by a team of researchers escorted by Jiang He, Professor of Epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 2000-2001. During this study, researchers observed the relationship between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction with the help of 7,684 men in China. The researchers utilized questionnaires to evaluate the link between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction. The surveyed men did not suffer from vascular disease and were aged between 35-74 years.

The team noticed that there was a vital arithmetical relation between the number of cigarettes that men burned and the odds of having erectile dysfunction. The relationship between smoking and erectile dysfunction was even more strong and apparent in the participants having diabetes. According to the study, approximately 22.7 percent of the erectile dysfunction cases amongst Chinese men could be credited to cigarette smoking.

While erectile dysfunction is not a severe health concern, it remarkably affects well-being and quality of life. The findings of Tulane study propose that more emphasis must be put on the prevention of smoking to lessen the danger of erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is a critical health issue for men

While many surveys may found that the condition as an age-related one mainly affecting senior men, the fact is that erectile dysfunction or impotent affects men from the youth stage, right up to, and after, middle age. However, it is common in men over age 50 and men who are approaching andropause.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition or situation where a man can not achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs, to the point where he is incapable to ejaculate, therefore keeping out from satisfactory sexual performance.

Now the question arises in your mind is, what causes ED, Professor Douglas has some answers.
Professor Lawson Douglas, a famous Urologist says about main causes which lead ED in men.
First one is psychogenic, something is upsetting the man.

Second one, vascular problem (blood not being able to reach the penis) means there is not proper blood flow in penis that keeps erectile of your penis erection at the time of sexual intercourse.

Third one, a nerve problem (can be caused by surgery).

And fourth, hormonal problems (they give you the feeling to have sex, but are not essential in producing an erection, but they can cause a man not to feel like having sex)," Professor Douglas explained.

Apart from above causes there are many other factor or causes to lead ED. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and smoking are four such causes. It shows health issues also play a major part in erectile dysfunction.

Addressing the psychogenic issues that cause ED is one of the most essential steps in dealing with the erectile dysfunction.

Taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5), which are oral erectile-dysfunction drugs such as Viagra (Sildenafil), Cialis, can help resolve the problem. The drug is used to block the degradative action of phosphodiesterase type 5 on cyclic GMP in the smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessels supplying the corpus cavernous of the penis.

As a result, a man should always consult his doctor before taking any of these erectile dysfunction drugs.

Wonder pill Viagra celebrated its 15 birthday

Exactly 15 years back, Michael Allen received a call from a doctor residing in a small Welsh town, which was actually the first indication of an innovation's emergence. The doctor had been working on a small clinical trial involving the examination of a new drug for the treatment of angina. The future of the new drug called UK-92480 seemed bleak then as other trials had revealed that it did not engender much impact on the disease and was less efficient than existing treatments.

When the doctor presented his progress report to Allen, a clinical project manager at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, he also cited some side effects that occurred in the healthy volunteers during the trial in Merthyr Tydfil. They were indigestion, back pain and erections.
Erectile dysfunction is often a sign of a more severe vascular problem that involves abnormalities in the lining of the blood vessels. And often, endothelial dysfunction is an underlying problem for erectile dysfunction - it can be one of the first signs of atherosclerosis.
After five years of detailed research, Pfizer applied to get marketing approval for the same drug, but not to treat angina, in fact for male impotence. Since then Viagra has been utilized by over 30 million men across the globe for erectile dysfunction or impotence.

Researchers believe that the wonder blue pill may also come handy for a host of other uses. They say it might be a versatile potion as Aspirin.

The health conditions that Viagra has been assessed to treat include jet lag, premature ejaculation, heart failure, diabetes symptoms, pain, multiple sclerosis, premature birth, memory loss, chronic pelvic pain, reynaud's phenomenon, and strokes.

While Egyptians used Viagra to save unconsummated marriages, it has been examined as a new therapy to cure jet lag in Argentina. Not only this, in Israel researchers have also noticed that it can help slashed flowers to survive long.