Move over Viagra and Cialis, there’s a new erectile dysfunction drug in town, and it’s name is Stendra.

The new drug, made by Vivus, got a nod from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just last week. It works in much the same way as its competitors, by inhibiting the same enzyme to increase blood flow to the penis. The drug will provide another option to the nearly 30 million men who suffer from erectile dysfunction, a condition in which men have difficulty getting or keeping an erection.

Stendra, also known as avanafil, will come with the same side effect warnings as its market competitors Viagra and Cialis, which include headache, facial redness and nasal congestion. In rare cases, patients may get an erection lasting four hours or more that will not go away. Vision and hearing problems are also noted.

Vivus is hoping to pull in about $68 million in sales with Stendra. It’s top-seeded competitor Viagra had a whopping $2 billion in sales last year alone.

Erectile dysfunction is not the only concern of the drug company. Vivus is patiently awaiting approval of its investigational diet pill Qnexa, due for FDA consideration in late July. The FDA had previously rejected the drug, citing possible health risks.

Qnexa is a combination of the weight loss drug phentermine and the anti-seizure drug Topamax (topiramate). Phentermine has been linked to heart palpitations, and Topamax – as with other anti-epilepsy drugs including Depakote – has been linked to birth defects if taken during pregnancy.

Source: USA Today

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