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Pfizer Says No Risk of Blindness for Viagra Patients

Source: PR Newswire
Published: June 29, 2005

Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, said Tuesday that a review of its impotence drug Viagra found no evidence of increased risk of blindness among patients taking the drug.

"After more than 10 years of rigorous clinical study and worldwide safety monitoring of a medicine used by more than 27 million men, there is no evidence to suggest a link between Viagra and blindness or other serious ocular events," Dr. Joseph Feczko, Pfizer's chief medical officer, said. "Men taking Viagra are at no greater risk for blindness -- including vision loss from NAION -- than men of similar age and health not taking the medicine."

NAION is the most common acute optic nerve disease in adults over age 50 and it shares a number of common risk factors with erectile dysfunction: age over 50, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes.

Pfizer said it has agreed to include the fact of these reports in the Viagra label to help physicians and patients. The FDA has asked that similar information be included in the labels of rival erectile dysfunction drugs.

Read Full Story at PR Newswire

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