‘It wouldn’t exist’: Viagra inventor tells how Welsh miners began its rise

Dr David Brown says erectile dysfunction drug, subject of a BBC drama, could have been scrapped if a miner hadn ’t spoken outIt was the ultimate serendipitous discovery: a failed heart medication that became a multibillion-dollar erectile dysfunction drug. But the blockbuster story ofViagra could have ended differently were it not for the frankness of the Welsh miners who took part in a clinical trial just before the drug was due to be scrapped, according to Viagra ’s co-inventor.Speaking before the screening ofMen Up, a new BBC drama, executive produced by Russell T Davies, about the ordinary middle-aged Welsh men who took part in early trials, Dr David Brown said the drug ’s unexpected side-effect was almost overlooked.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Viagra Medical research Men's health Sex Pfizer Wales BBC Russell T Davies Pharmaceuticals industry Society UK news Source Type: news