FirstMed Consulting Blog

Using the strap line Talk, Test, Treat, Eli Lilly (the company that manufactures ED drug Cialis), recently launched a groundbreaking erectile dysfunction awareness campaign, specifically targeting younger men who tend to neglect the problem.

The Lilly campaign is dubbed ‘40over40′ due to new statistics that show erectile dysfunction (ED) actually affects 40% of men over the age of 40. The whole campaign is designed to show any guy suffering from ED out there that he’s not alone and that the belief that only elderly men suffer from ED is inaccurate.

Adverts are being screened on terrestrial channels for three months from July, making it the first time a UK-targeted campaign of this kind has appeared on British television.
Although this campaign is technically “direct to consumer” it does not qualify as “advertising” under European law because it is unbranded, which means that no drug trade name is mentioned. Lilly still stands to benefit from increased awareness that the campaign will bring.

Firstmed welcomes the campaign as we know that too few men are aware that their erectile difficulties could be a sign of underlying health problems like smoking related damage, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels. Erectile dysfunction in younger men is not only damaging to their sex life, but can often occur as an indication of other serious health problems and may do permanent damage if left untreated.

The eight seconds of McCain’s deer in the headlights expression when asked what he thought about some insurance companies paying for Viagra but not for birth control has been making headlines around the world all week.

Republican US presidential candidate John McCain was asked last Wednesday if he agrees with one of his advisers, Carly Fiorina, that it’s unfair for health insurers to pay for men to get Viagra but not for women to get birth control pills. The Senator uncomfortably responded, “I certainly do not want to discuss that issue.” “I don’t know enough about it to give you an informed answer,” he added after a long pause.

The issue is a controversial one as the health insurance companies that cover drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED) but do not cover prescription birth control, are seen as engaging in gender discrimination against women. Since this story is as much about sex as it is about health insurance, this incident also demonstrates that McCain is clearly uncomfortable talking about sexual matters

McCain’s squirming shows how uncomfortable the subject of ED makes any man, even an ex-military commander vying to become one of the most powerful people in the world. Pfizer enjoyed great success in the past by casting elder statesman Bob Dole as spokesperson for Viagra. Although, they have changed their marketing strategy since then, they must be delighted at the free publicity McCain has unwittingly provided.

There have been several articles this week published in newspapers and online forums about the so-called increase in Viagra sales in the financial district of London due to the recent economic downturn. The news reports that British people in their 20s and 30s are buying Viagra and Cialis to boost their performance in the bedroom which has taken a tumble due to the credit crunch stress. Moreover, bankers, lawyers and hedge-fund managers are having the pills delivered to them at work to keep the problem secret from partners.

I find this news very hard to believe for several reasons. Firstly just to clear up a quick technical point. People frequently have their post delivered to work. The reason, more often than not, isn’t to deceive their partner but for the simple reason that they won’t be anyone at a home address during the day and Viagra is a prescription treatment that needs to be signed for.

More importantly, I find it hard to believe that Viagra sales would peak in times of crisis. When it comes to Viagra sales, the stats from our database of 25,000 customers tell a different story. Here at Firstmed, we have found Viagra sales rise not in times of stress but in times of celebration. Holiday season, including Christmas, the summer and Valentines Day are our busiest times of year. Even when out of the norm sale spikes do occur, they are invariably due to joy. For example, during the World Cup 2006, the sale of impotence treatments were noticeable altered by the outcome of the final. French sales, which had been consist through the competition, dropped significantly following their defeat. On the flip side, the Italian’s more than doubled in the week following their victory.

While stress and anxiety can undoubtedly cause impotence, this doesn’t equate to a rise in Viagra sales. Most men are very reluctant to seek treatment, especially young men. If the source of these articles is to be believed, these men would have to confront (what is perceived to be) an embarrassing illness at an already stressful time and furthermore, take time out of their busy schedules to go to the GP in person prior to obtaining the treatment.

Research released recently suggests that watermelons can be now be considered the new Viagra and may act a natural cure for impotence. According to the findings, watermelons contain a natural cure ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that has a host of benefits for circulation. The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Researchers say that the watermelon is amazing and though not as organ specific as Viagra “it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.” However, the same researchers claim you would need to eat at least six cups of watermelon in order to get enough citrulline into your body’s system. Can Watermelon really be considered side-effect free? (bearing in mind that watermelon is a diuretic and six cups is guaranteed to have you running to the bathroom all night long.) While watermelon is a health food, it is also loaded with sugar and six cups in one serving may be a little too much.

Before we lose our heads, let’s not forget that Viagra can be swallowed a little faster than six cups of watermelon.

The world of professional sport is no stranger to drug scandals. Anyone who reads a paper or turns on a TV will see how seriously allegations of ‘Doping’ are taken. I had heard of athletes taking anabolic steroids to improve their performance but I noticed reports last week that athletes are now turning to Viagra to enhance their performance.

It isn’t clear how many might be taking it in hopes of improving athletic performance, but stashes of the drug have reportedly been found among some professional athletes and it has also attracted the attention of the World Anti-Doping Agency. The agency is currently studying Viagra’s effects in athletes, but hasn’t yet banned it. Experts are divided over whether it actually offers athletes an edge.

Why? I hear you ask. How could Viagra, a drug designed to help treat erectile dysfunction be of any use to a pro athlete?

Well Viagra has many uses. In fact, it was originally developed as a heart drug; its use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction was only accidentally discovered. The drug works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, which makes blood vessels expand. That should theoretically allow blood cells to get more oxygen from the lungs.

Athletes taking Viagra hope that the drug will expand their already normal-sized vessels to give them extra lung capacity. If you have more oxygen going to your muscles, that’s more energy and that makes you a better athlete. But some experts say that’s unlikely and Viagra would only work on people with lung problems already. In other words – it can’t fix what isn’t broken.

While it is still uncertain whether Viagra makes athletes faster, higher or stronger, there may also be another reason athletes are taking Viagra – to compensate for the impotence brought on by using banned hormones.