You have probably heard more than your share of Viagra jokes; a whole Web site is devoted to them. But impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), is no joke. According to a survey (H.A. Feldman et al., Journal of Urology, 151:54-61, 1994), more than 50 percent of men between 40 and 70 suffer from some degree of ED. The figure climbs to 67 percent at age 70. That's 20 to 30 million men, according to the National Institutes of Health.
By the end of the second quarter of 1998, Viagra sales accounted for more than $400 million of the company's $1 billion increase in total revenues compared to 1997. And by mid-August, 30 million pills had been dispensed. These figures reflect mainly domestic sales--38 other countries have now approved Viagra, including the 15 nations of the European Union, with 41 more expected by year's end. Financial analysts project a worldwide market ...
