Levitra effective in ED in men with CV disease

New clinical trial data demonstrates that Levitra (vardenafil HCl) is effective at the first dose with continued success in treating erectile dysfunction in men with associated medical conditions that affect the cardiovascular system. The drug was originated by Germany's Bayer, and is promoted in the USA by GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough. It is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor that is designed to increase blood flow to the penis.

The trial, which is published in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Practice, was a randomized, open-label challenge assessment that enrolled 600 ED patients, and was followed by a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that enrolled responsive study participants.

The results showed that those who responded to initial 10mg treatment, 87% at week one, maintained the same response to the drug over a 12-week period, 83% versus 56% of those in the placebo arm.