Il Guardian racconta la storia di come una molecola, clinicamente inefficace per curare i malati di cuore cui era destinata, abbia trovato una nuova indicazione grazie alla franchezza dei soggetti sui quali era sperimentata.

Il farmacologo della Pfizer che seguiva i trial del sildenafil racconta di come l’azienda fosse orientata ad abbandonare la molecola dopo che vari trial ne avevano dimostrato l’inutilità per trattare l’angina, quando in un trial venne deciso di aumentare la dose per vedere se in quel modo si riusciva a ottenere qualche risultato.

In the morning, the young lady who ran the study gave them a questionnaire,” Brown said. “There was always an open question at the end asking if there were any other effects that you noticed.”

Some may have been inclined not to broach the subject, but one man raised his hand and shared that he “seemed to have been having erections all night”, according to Brown, who added: “He must’ve been on the highest dose.” Other volunteers chimed in with similar experiences.

Pfizer’s clinical associate reported the unusual side-effect to Brown. “She was quite an attractive young blonde lady. She blushed terribly when she told me this,” he said. “I said, ‘I think I understand why this is happening.’…

… Pfizer are incredibly commercially minded,” said Brown. “When they see big bucks they’ll go for it fast. As soon as the people in New York were told they immediately got it. The drug went from dead to number one in the global portfolio in two weeks.