AIDS GROUP SUES PFIZER OVER VIAGRA DTC MARKETING

An HIV/AIDS healthcare provider has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, saying its marketing campaign for Viagra promoted recreational use of the drug and contributed to increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV.

The suit, filed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County, cited "unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices" and "the unjust and illegal conduct of drugmaker Pfizer Inc., whose unlawful and deceptive marketing of its erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra has caused an increase in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including but not limited to HIV/AIDS."

Pfizer denied the allegations, saying it "does not promote Viagra for recreational use" and recommends men with erectile dysfunction see their doctors before deciding on treatment. "The Viagra product label, as well as all patient communications and advertising, clearly state that Viagra does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV," the company said.

The AHF is also concerned about increased use of illegal drugs in conjunction with Viagra (sildenafil citrate). Recently, the AHF launched a public awareness campaign about the dangers of increased STD and HIV transmission when combining drugs such as Viagra and methamphetamine, a subject that is also addressed in the lawsuit. One side effect of methamphetamine is that while it increases libido it also causes impotence, leading many to use drugs like Viagra.

The group cited a review published in May 2005 in The American Journal of Medicine, which analyzed data from 14 studies related to Viagra use. Several of the studies "showed independent associations between use of the drug and sexual risk behavior, as well as an increased risk for STDs, including HIV infection," the statement said.

"By marketing Viagra to men with 'mild' erectile dysfunction or as a way to 'improve your sex life' -- as many of the ads state -- Pfizer is selling the drug as a way to enhance sexual experience, not as a treatment for an illness," Tom Myers, general counsel for the AHF, said. (http://www.fdanews.com/did/6_17/)