More ‘discreet’ Viagra-type drug could soon be available in Britain

It is a little blue pill that has transformed male health and the sex lives of millions.

But while Viagra’s success has made the erectile dysfunction drug famous, a less conspicuous form could soon become available.

The US company Viatris has created a new version of Viagra: a wafer-like film that dissolves in the mouth, and does not need to be taken with water. What’s more, Viatris has recently applied for a trademark for the innovation in the UK.

The product, Viagra ODF, could be a boon for those who struggle to take tablets, with the company adding it offers a more discreet and convenient way to take the medication.

Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Manchester, welcomed the development.

“I think the little blue pill has become part and parcel of modern culture for men and couples of certain age,” he said. “I don’t think that a film will make much difference to Viagra’s acceptability, but it may make it more convenient for people to use and carry around with them. Box of pills in your pocket or a discreet film in your wallet? I know which I’d choose.”

Erectile dysfunction is a common among men, with about half of those aged between 40 and 70 thought to be affected. Viagra helps to treat the condition, with its effects lasting approximately four hours.

Experts said the application for a trademark suggested that Viatris would like to make it available in the UK within the next five years.

Viagra ODF was launched in Canada in September this year, coming in an aluminium pouch of 50mg doses at a similar cost to traditional Viagra.

Viagra is a poster child for serendipitous discovery: in the early 1990s the active ingredient, sildenafil, was being studied by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer as a potential angina treatment.

But during trials at a clinic in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, an unexpected side-effect arose: participants reported experiencing erections.

The drug, it emerged, not only relaxed blood vessels in the chest, but did the same in the penis, improving blood flow. As a result, Pfizer launched the drug for erectile dysfunction in 1998 under the name Viagra.