Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : PFE (Pfizer) How high will it go? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (6800)	1/26/1999 10:33:00 AM
From: Mkilloran	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9523

Anthony.....the latest in ED research Info from the Keystone Conf in Utah last week: #reply-7484352 and the study groups reaction: geocities.com

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (6800)	1/28/1999 7:03:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 9523

BBC: Viagra impotence warning Thursday, January 28, 1999 Published at 01:13 GMT Young men who take Viagra for recreational use risk impotence, an expert has warned. The hype surrounding the drug has lead to some using it recreationally in nightclubs as an aphrodisiac. Roger Kirby, a consultant urologist from St George's Hospital in London, says young men are already reported to be experiencing medical problems after taking Viagra (technical name sildenafil). They have developed a persistent and painful erection, a condition known as priapism. This condition may result in a lack of blood supply to and consequent damage of the intracavernosal smooth muscle, the muscle that helps to produce an erection. Drugs cocktail The damage may cause the sufferer to develop permanent impotence problems (erectile dysfunction). Mr Kirby, honorary secretary of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, says there is no data to support the claim that Viagra improves the normal erection or alters orgasmic sensation. Writing in the Student British Medical Journal, he also issues a warning to men considering taking Viagra as part of a drugs cocktail. If it is taken with any drug containing nitric oxide (such as "poppers", which contain amyl nitrate) it could be extremely hazardous. This is because the potentially lethal combination can lead to a decline in blood pressure that could cause a heart attack or stroke. Side effects According to Mr Kirby, the other side effects of any man taking Viagra, whether impotent or not, are headaches, facial flushing and heartburn. The effect of the drug on the retina may also result in temporary abnormalities of vision and the perception of a "blue haze". In conclusion, Mr Kirby said: "Sildenafil has little to offer normally potent men and usage by them carries inherent risks. "The message is don't take it if you have not got erectile dysfunction. It is not a good recreational drug." However, Mr Kirby stressed that Viagra has proved to be a "breakthrough drug" for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. He criticised the decision of Health Secretary Frank Dobson to limit the availability of the drug on the NHS. Guidelines 'unworkable' Impotence is a life-threatening condition in its own right, Mr Kirby argues, but it is associated with a serious reduction in the quality of life, not only for the men affected but also for their partners. "The men lose confidence and often become depressed," he writes. "Their partners feel rejected and often misinterpret the lack of sexual relations as a sign of transference of affections elsewhere." Mr Kirby told BBC News Online that patients had already complained to him since Mr Dobson announced new guidelines for the NHS prescription of the drug last week. " A lot of people are very disappointed, they feel it goes against the ethics of the NHS, and that if they have medical condition it should be treated," he said. "The guidelines are unworkable. They divide people with erectile dysfunction into those who deserve treatment and those who do not on a very arbitrary basis." news.bbc.co.uk

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (6800)	1/28/1999 7:12:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

Hong Kong: Viagra on way to getting the all-clear Hong Kong Standard January 28, 1999 STORY: GOOD news for about 200,000 men in Hong Kong: Viagra, the anti-impotence pill, could finally be available next week. As a first step, the Legislative Council yesterday passed a resolution under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance regulating the pill as a prescription drug. The resolution will be gazetted on 5 February. After that, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board could give the go-ahead to the drug's maker, Pfizer, to distribute Viagra to local drug stores. But Pfizer declined to comment on distribution issues until it received final authorisation from the Department of Health, with a spokesman saying the company was committed to responsible marketing. It has been estimated that there are 200,000 men in Hong Kong suffering from erectile dysfunction. Pfizer conducted clinical trials among 500 men in Southeast Asia last year, and 81 per cent noted an improvement after 12 weeks. There had been concerns, however, about the safety of the drug following reports that a number of heart patients died after taking the pill in the United States. There were also reports of test patients experiencing various side effects, such as flushes, headaches, dizziness and abnormal vision. Pfizer has stressed that Viagra _ though a ''scientific advance in treating erectile dysfunction'' _ would be a prescription-only medicine and must not be taken without medical consultation hkstandard.com