Viagra, the power pill that is a chemical brainchild, ushers in a new world of legal drugs and medicines for healthy people.
For many generations man has strived to discover the absolute elixir of love. The desperate search is full of charlatans and know-it-alls of all kinds, from Dodaim pickers to ram horn grinders. But none of the traditional "wonder drugs" passed the simple test of comparing the active substance with Invo (placebo). In this case, the comparison is particularly difficult, since in matters of potency, the man's self-confidence plays a central role, regardless of the chemical composition of the preparation. The era of the perfect ended with the entry into the market of the drug produced by the American company Pfizer, a few months ago. Viagra, the pill that was a huge hit, turned out to be a real competitor to other legitimate erectile dysfunction treatments.
Originally, the pill was designed to relieve clinical functional difficulties, but in a short time it became clear that it is mainly consumed by absolutely healthy men, who see it as a means of improving their quality of life. A black market has also developed due to the difficulty doctors have in prescribing medicine for a man who they consider healthy. While the first market estimates were based on the fact that only a few percent of men would purchase it, it is now estimated that the potential market for Viagra includes almost every man. Some doctors have even reported a positive effect of Viagra on women's sexual activity. That's why Viagra will probably be the most successful drug of all time. This is to herald a new world of legal drugs and medicines intended for healthy people. These will become much more common at the beginning of the next millennium, with the end of the human genome project, the results of which will allow a deeper understanding of the "wonderful machine" - the human body.
In contrast to the mindless methods that idol doctors recommend to "cure" various medical phenomena, from overweight to cancer, Viagra was developed through a lengthy process of scientific and clinical research. The basis of the drug's development was knowledge obtained in basic research. According to him, the activity of the "second messenger", a substance called circular GMP, results in the narrowing of blood vessels. It was also discovered that an enzyme (protein catalyst) called phosphodiesterase, which breaks down the messenger, causes the reversal of the process - that is, the narrowing of the blood vessels. Later on, many companies looked for a chemical that would inhibit the enzyme and in this way increase blood flow again
in the desired places. As in many cases, the challenge of the "medicine hunters" was twofold. First of all, they sought to find a chemical that would act on the phosphodiesterase enzyme, but not on any of the thousands of other enzymes and receptors in the body. This is analogous to the development of a laser-guided missile that identifies a specific building in a large city and only hits it. But this is not enough: the enzyme inhibitor must act only on a certain part of the body, in this case - the penis. This became possible after an even more rigorous study revealed that phosphodiesterase has several fairly similar subtypes, which are uniquely expressed in the different tissues. The researchers needed supreme chemical sophistication to find a compound that would act primarily on the desired subtype. This success can be attributed to the perfection of said missile, until it can recognize the face of one person in the target building and kill only him. The developed substance, also known by its chemical name sildenafil citrate, is a chemical brainchild; More than sixty atoms of five types, linked together by chains, side branches and hexagonal rings - a beautiful spatial structure. Like a sophisticated key, Viagra only fits one protein lock. The medicine makes its way from the mouth to the target site and within about an hour it brings the desired result. Like any drug, it was approved by the pharmaceutical authorities in the US and Europe only after careful examinations. These proved
the clear effectiveness of the drug compared to Invo and the small number of side effects. These would have been more if the "missile" deviated from its target and also recognized different enzymatic targets than the one for which it was designed.
Due to the complicated chemical and medical requirements, the process of developing a drug like Viagra and its approval is difficult and expensive: the search lasts many years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. The patent for Viagra was filed in 1990, but only recently was the drug approved for use. The progress of the human genome project, and the implementation of sophisticated planning means with the help of supercomputers (computerized genomics), will result in a considerable shortening of the time and cost of drug development. It is essential that the medical and licensing authorities, also in Israel, be prepared to shorten the associated procedures, in order to allow full utilization of the research progress. One can predict with great confidence that this progress will lead, within a decade or two, to the disappearance of most of the diseases that terrorize us today, including cancer and AIDS. And as in the case of Viagra, there may also be surprising improvements in our ability to make the most of the gift of life.
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