Like Viagra, Levitra ‘Amplifies’ Small Erections
The long-awaited competitor to Viagra – christened Levitra today – inches its way to final FDA approval. Two early studies suggest it is more durable, has fewer side effects and is safe for almost everyone, including those with heart problems. Similar drugs approved in this class of drug warnings for men with heart disease.
However, a urologist advises men not to get their hopes up. “This does not mean new drugs will not be exciting and wonderfully helpful,” Larry Lipshultz, MD, professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “The data are interesting. Let’s see if the product contains up to the claims.”
levitra was developed by Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline and the United States is scheduled for launch in 2003.
Viagra, produced by Pfizer Inc., revolutionized the treatment of male sexual dysfunction, allowing men for the first time to pop a pill to get an erection – rather than trying various devices, including a drug injected into the penis or having a pellet inserted.
According to some estimates, some degree of ED affects more than 50% of men over 40 years. In the United States, only 30 million men are affected.
However, statistics show that only 10% of men seek help. Thus, 90% of men are not yet treated for impotence, says Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of the Institute for Sexual Medicine at Boston University Medical Center and a leader in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.
“In the early days of Viagra, many men are turned off – in large part because the reports of heart attacks that have later proven not to be drug related,” says Goldstein WebMD. Today Viagra only a council for people with high blood pressure taking certain types of blood pressure lowering drugs, and patients with angina or heart disease who take nitrates.
Preliminary data on Levitra:
A Phase III clinical trial enrolled 440 men with erectile dysfunction between 44 and 77 years, most of whom had undergone nerve savings prostatectomies six or more months before entering the study. (Approximately one third of men who had a prostatectomy – removal of the prostate gland – develop ed.) After 12 weeks of Levitra, 71% of men had improved erections. And a subset of male depression related to their impotence reported fewer symptoms of depression after taking Levitra.
In a 26-weeks phase III trial of 805 men, about 74% -77% of men 10-20 mg of buy levita reported successful penetration on their first attempt, compared to 46% of men taking a placebo. Also, men who have succeeded the first time reported successful penetration of approximately 85% -91% of attempts, compared to 77% of those taking a placebo. Adverse events were mild to moderate headache, flushing, and nasal congestion – “mild stuff,” says Goldstein.
Both Viagra and Levitra work by inhibiting the enzyme PDE5. “This means that if you take a pill, and sexual stimulation, the drug can magnify the natural erectile response. It allows the reaction to more like sex should be.”
The biochemical differences between the two drugs mark the difference, he says. “Levitra contains an inhibitor of the enzyme is more effective, only a very small amount of the drug is necessary,” said Goldstein WebMD. “That’s something that is cool about Levitra – is the biochemical activity is very different from Viagra and Cialis [another impotence treatment drug being developed by Lilly].”
All three drugs – and several others are still developing – their place in the arsenal of a doctor, says Goldstein. “Several other companies are also on drugs with PDE5 inhibitors.
When it starts to work and how long it lasts are the major problems of impotence drugs: Viagra takes effect in about 30 minutes and the effects last approximately 4 hours. Cialis reaches maximum concentration in 24 hours, and the effects last about 3 days, says Goldstein. Levitra is the fastest of action to achieve the maximum concentration in 30 to 40 minutes with effects lasting about 16 hours.
Also, Levitra does not disconcerting visual problem that many men with Viagra: “If you take Viagra, you get a weird blue vision,” he says.
Just do not expect miracles with Levitra, Lipshultz said.
“The strength of the drug will probably be comparable – they are all supposed to inhibit the enzyme PDE5,” Lipshultz tells WebMD. “Whatever the dose you take inhibits completely. So I do not think that we’ll meet a lot of advertising based on ‘take this medicine because it is stronger. ”
Also, if you have not had success with Viagra, it is doubtful that Levitra works better, says Lipshultz. “I do not think we’ll see people who do not have a drug do better on another drug. I think that if the difference will be – if any – is the appearance of action, duration of action, and side effects. “
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