Viagra Faces Competition

An estimated 30 million American men suffer some degree of impotence, and some use the little blue pill Viagra to help battle their sexual problem. Now, a new orange prescription called Levitra has just been approved to rival Viagra.

Medical Correspondent Emily Senay explained on The Early Show that until now, Viagra has been the only oral prescription available for treating male impotence for the past five years.

With the help of massive publicity and marketing aimed at men, who would otherwise be too embarrassed to seek help, sales of Viagra have climbed to $1.7 billion last year.

Now, the FDA has approved the drug Vardenafil, brand name Levitra, based on research that shows men were five times more likely to achieve sexual function when taking the pill compared to those given a placebo.

Levitra will be available within a few weeks, although the price of the drug has not yet been announced.

Senay says Levitra is in the same family as Viagra, and both work by targeting an enzyme important for male sexual function. There have been no studies yet directly comparing the pills, so it's too early to say exactly what the differences might be. Studies have shown in the past that Viagra helped more than 70 percent of men who took it, so both drugs are effective for erectile dysfunction.

The drugs main side effects are similar. Some men reported headache, flushing, stuffy nose or indigestion.

Senay says there were also a few reports of abnormal vision and dizziness. The FDA recommends that men see a doctor for a physical before using the drugs for the first time.

Viagra and Levitra are not made for every man suffering from impotence, according to Senay. They come with serious warnings for those taking other medications or suffering from other medical conditions.

Senay warns that the drugs should never be used by men who take prescription for heart disease that contain nitrates, or men who take drugs called alpha blockers for high blood pressure or enlarged prostate. In addition, Levitra and Viagra are not for patients with a rare heart condition known as Q-T prolongation, men who have suffered a recent heart attack or stroke, or men who have very low blood pressure or high blood pressure. Levitra and Viagra can cause serious trouble for men in these categories.

So far, Senay says, there is no approved drug for female sexual dysfunction, but there are numerous efforts underway to find effective treatments. There are drugs currently being tested, including Viagra and similar drugs, for correcting female sexual dysfunction.