Pfizer debuts Revatio for PAH in the UK

Global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer says it has launched its drug Revatio (sildenafil citrate) as a new treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, in the UK. The drug contains the same active ingredient as Pfizer's blockbuster erectile dysfunction agent Viagra.

In patients with PAH, the pressure in the pulmonary artery increases, causing debilitating symptoms, such as breathlessness, dizziness, fainting, chest pains and tiredness. These can result in poor everyday health and quality of life. Revatio has been shown to reduce pulmonary artery pressure and improve exercise capacity. Pfizer says it undertook a six-year clinical development program with sildenafil citrate in PAH because there was evidence that it could be an effective treatment in this area of high medical need.