Advisory group OKs drug similar to Viagra

From staff reports

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A medical advisory committee recommended Monday that federal approval be given for a new drug to assist men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

The panel further recommended that labels go along with the drug, Uprima (pronounced "you-pree-muh"), to warn of possible side effects when a user also consumes alcohol or is taking heart medication. Uprima is being manufactured by TAP Pharmaceuticals, a joint venture between Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Uprima is similar to Viagra in the results achieved but works differently.

Taken orally, Viagra is digested and typically begins to work in 30 to 60 minutes. When its active ingredients travel in the bloodstream to a male's genitalia, blood vessels of a male who is sexually stimulated are induced to fill the erectile chambers of his penis.

Uprima is designed to work faster, perhaps in half the time. It is dissolved under the tongue, and its active chemicals influence the brain's release of dopamine.

Neither Viagra nor Uprima is a mood or libido enhancer but helps the physical process of obtaining and maintaining an erection.

Before making a decision on authorizing Uprima for public use, officials of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will review the advisory group's suggestions and the study data compiled during testing. If approved as expected, Uprima will be a prescription drug.

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