Viagra
VIAGRA
VIAGRA is the trademarked name for sildenafil citrate, a prescription drug created to counteract impotence by blocking an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), which can end erections prematurely. After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Viagra on 27 March 1998, doctors prescribed the drug more than any other medicine in history over a two-year time span. Pfizer Inc., the maker of Viagra, uses celebrities such as former senator Bob Dole and baseball star Rafael Palmeiro to advertise directly to consumers, contributing to the $15.7 billion total spent in 2000 on pharmaceutical ads targeted toward ordinary people—instead of doctors.
James T.Scott
See alsoSexuality .
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
Viagra
