Soon a children's form of Viagra will hit the market capable of treating a rare lung disorder. The Food and Drug Administration has approached Pfizer about using its drug to treat a lung ailment that affects about 600 kids.
In exchange of this, Pfizer will get a six-month extension of its
patent on the adult version.
Viagra, which modifies blood flows, could reduce unusually high blood pressure in a child's lungs, or pulmonary arterial hypertension. Symptoms include dizziness, chest pain and fatigue, reports New York Post.
A panel of FDA advisers will determine on Thursday whether to green light the kid's version.
Doctors already had been using Viagra's principal ingredient in lower doses to treat children with the lung ailment, under a different name, Revatio. The principal drug for both Viagra and Revatio is the same, Sildenafil.
The FDA began asking Pfizer in 2001 to develop ways to use Viagra to treat children suffering from the lung ailment, but the pool of just 600 patients offered limited revenue opportunities.
Doctors who have been using the drug on children say it is well-tolerated and doesn't have as many side effects as other treatments.