'Herbal' Sex Aids Were Viagra

Makers of erectile dysfunction drugs try to find new niches

(NEWSER) - Viagra’s chemical patent expires next year, likely opening the playing field to cheaper generic versions of the pill—and in a $5 billion industry, the makers of the erectile dysfunction drug are racing to stay ahead of the competition. Pfizer recently began selling a chewable form of Viagra in Mexico, the developing world’s biggest market for the drug, reports the New York Times . Viagra Jet could make its way to other developing markets, but it’s not yet clear whether it will land in the US. More»

Viagra changed sexual landscape

(NEWSER) - The little blue pill that rescued the sex lives and saved marriages of couples worldwide is 10 years old this month. Viagra, which has been used by some 35 million men, moved the treatment of impotence out of the shadows to lead a multi-billion-dollar industry. The drug has also triggered other, unforeseen benefits, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. More»

Obesity epidemic fallout foreshadows serious health troubles

(NEWSER) - The ranks of US children with dangerously high blood pressure and hypertension have been growing for 20 years, reversing a decades-long trend, says a new study that tracks the effects of youth obesity. Hypertension, which usually doesn't develop until patients are in their 30s or 40s, is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke, the Washington Post reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Men with erectile dysfunction may get an assist, believe it or not, from the Brazillian wandering spider—also dubbed the banana spider for its propensity to hide in bunches of the fruit. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have isolated a compound in the spider's deadly saliva that causes erections, der Spiegel reports. More»