Acetildenafil
Encyclopedia
Acetildenafil is a drug
which acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor
. It is a structural analogue
of sildenafil
(Viagra) which has been detected in numerous different brands of supposedly "herbal" aphrodisiac products sold to boost libido and alleviate erectile dysfunction
.
A range of designer analogues of legitimate PDE5
inhibitors such as sildenafil and vardenafil
have been detected in recent years in over-the-counter herbal aphrodisiac products, in an apparent attempt to circumvent both the legal restrictions on sale of erectile dysfunction drugs, which are prescription-only
medicines in most Western countries, and the patent
protection which prevents sale of these drugs by competitors except under license to their inventors. These compounds have been demonstrated to display PDE5 inhibitory activity in vitro and presumably have similar effects when consumed, but have undergone no formal testing in either humans or animals, and as such may represent significant health risks to consumers of these products due to their unknown safety profile. Some attempts have been made to ban these drugs as unlicensed medicines, but progress has been slow so far, as even in those jurisdictions which have laws targeting designer drugs, the laws are drafted to ban analogues of illegal drugs of abuse, rather than analogues of prescription medicines. However at least one court case has resulted in a product being taken off the market.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
which acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor
Phosphodiesterase inhibitor
A phosphodiesterase inhibitor is a drug that blocks one or more of the five subtypes of the enzyme phosphodiesterase , therefore preventing the inactivation of the intracellular second messengers cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate by the respective PDE...
. It is a structural analogue
Analog (chemistry)
In chemistry, a structural analog , also known as chemical analog or simply analog, is a compound having a structure similar to that of another one, but differing from it in respect of a certain component. It can differ in one or more atoms, functional groups, or substructures, which are replaced...
of sildenafil
Sildenafil
Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and under various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension . It was originally developed by British scientists and then brought to market by the US-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer...
(Viagra) which has been detected in numerous different brands of supposedly "herbal" aphrodisiac products sold to boost libido and alleviate erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....
.
A range of designer analogues of legitimate PDE5
CGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5
cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 is an enzyme from the phosphodiesterase class. It is found in various tissues, most prominently the corpus cavernosum and the retina....
inhibitors such as sildenafil and vardenafil
Vardenafil
Vardenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor used for treating erectile dysfunction that is sold under the trade names Levitra and Staxyn.-History:...
have been detected in recent years in over-the-counter herbal aphrodisiac products, in an apparent attempt to circumvent both the legal restrictions on sale of erectile dysfunction drugs, which are prescription-only
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
medicines in most Western countries, and the patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
protection which prevents sale of these drugs by competitors except under license to their inventors. These compounds have been demonstrated to display PDE5 inhibitory activity in vitro and presumably have similar effects when consumed, but have undergone no formal testing in either humans or animals, and as such may represent significant health risks to consumers of these products due to their unknown safety profile. Some attempts have been made to ban these drugs as unlicensed medicines, but progress has been slow so far, as even in those jurisdictions which have laws targeting designer drugs, the laws are drafted to ban analogues of illegal drugs of abuse, rather than analogues of prescription medicines. However at least one court case has resulted in a product being taken off the market.