Episode 3: The Failed Heart Medication That Revitalized Sex Lives cover art

Episode 3: The Failed Heart Medication That Revitalized Sex Lives

Episode 3: The Failed Heart Medication That Revitalized Sex Lives

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In the early 1990s, Pfizer scientists were testing compound UK-92,480 (sildenafil citrate) as a treatment for angina when male participants reported an unexpected side effect: improved erections. Instead of abandoning the failed heart medication, researchers recognized its potential and pivoted. The result was Viagra—one of history's most successful drugs and a treatment that revolutionized attitudes toward erectile dysfunction and aging. Ezra Wade explores how this pharmaceutical accident transformed not just medicine but cultural conversations around men's health, sexuality, and relationships, demonstrating the value of recognizing when an unexpected outcome might be more valuable than the intended one.

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