Believe it or not, it has been seventeen years since the introduction of the blue pills, which had changed the landscape of the treatment of men with erectile dysfunction. On 27th of March 1998, sildenafil, which is the generic term for the blue diamond, became the first oral treatment for ED approved by the FDA in the United States. For those of us who lived through the nineties may also recall, it was the same year Bill Clinton was also in trouble with the Lewinsky Scandal.
Sildenafil was initially developed in Sandwich, Kent and subsequently studied for use in high blood pressure in Wales. The medicine had minimal impact on blood pressure on the research subjects, but induced a marked penile rigidity. The participants consistently reported the “accidental” side effect, and Pfizer had decided to develop the compound as a treatment for the men with erectile dysfunction. I guess the rest was simply history.
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Dr George Lee
Dr George Lee is a consultant Urologist and Clinical Associate Professor whose professional interest is in men’s health. This column is a forum to help men debunk the myths and taboos on men’s issues that may be too “hard” to mention. You can send him questions at askdrg@thestar.com.my
