Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Bayer impotence drug patients ‘give up sex’ after initial failure

A new study has revealed that a third of men who experience an initial failure after taking their first dose of an anti-impotence drug will give up sex entirely.

The data presented at the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM) involved 631 men with erectile dysfunction at an average age of 55, all of whom have received treatment, with 70 per cent currently on medication, Reuters reports.

Drugs taken by these patients include Viagra from Pfixer, Cialis from Eli Lilly and Levitra from Bayer.

In cases where the first pill did not work for a patient, 68 per cent reported a loss of self-esteem and 32 per cent admitted feelings of depression.

“These data confirm that men are still reluctant to seek help for their erectile dysfunction and highlight the importance of first-time success on improving aspects of well-being,” researchers involved in the study said.

The ESSM was founded in 1995 as the European Society for Impotence Research, with its first congress held in Porto Carras, Greece.

In January 2007, Pfizer informed Reuters that it was considering launching an over-the-counter formulation of Viagra, with the company responding to increasing pressure from drugs from competitors, including Lilly’s Cialis.