Viagra 'good for Asian men'

Viagra 'good for Asian men'

HONG KONG (AP): Viagra's effectiveness in treating impotence
crosses racial lines, with new tests proving that it works for
Asian males, the drug's manufacturer has said.

Tests showed that 81 to 86 percent of Asian men suffering
impotence reported an improvement after taking the drug for 12
weeks, Pfizer Corp. said in a statement Friday.

"The results are not surprising, considering the extensive
clinical trials already conducted in the U.S. and from experience
in other countries," Dr. Akmal Taher of the University of
Indonesia was quoted as saying in the statement.

The tests were conducted in Hong Kong, the Philippines,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

"Our results in Asia show the effectiveness of the drug across
racial lines," Peter Chan Siu-foon, research leader of the Hong
Kong tests, told the South China Morning Post.

He added that some of the men who took the drug in Hong Kong
did report side effects, with 15 percent suffering from flushes
and 13 percent complaining of headaches.

There are an estimated 200,000 men in Hong Kong who suffer
from impotence, the paper reported. Viagra is still banned in the
territory.

Despite an abundance of traditional remedies, black markets
for Viagra have sprung up across Asia, where the drug is barred
or awaiting approval in several countries.

The European Union on Tuesday authorized sales of Viagra, and
Pfizer said it would be widely available there by mid-October.