In a desire to prove the chemistry is applicable to an ever wider range of conditions, there are now trials underway to test whether it is an effective treatment for cancer, multiple sclerosis, strokes and, somewhat surprisingly, some aspects of mental disability. In all cases, the common feature is the ability of the drug to dilate arteries to improve the circulation of blood throughout the body. One of the consequences of improved circulation is a boost to the body's immune system. If blood moves only slowly, it is possible for the immune response to drop quite dramatically, say in the area of a tumor. Hence the current trial to determine whether local administration to cancer of the throat will have beneficial results. Apparently, the early results look promising.
There is something faintly strange about the idea of viagra becoming as commonly used as an aspirin. What had once seemed so uniquely particular to the male need seems to have a potential relevance to almost everyone. Given that there are eleven different forms of PDE in the human body, this gives us the prospect there may be eleven different uses for viagra. Perhaps other drugs are always going to be less flexible. A painkiller, for example, really only has one reason to exist (ignoring the abuse for pleasure). Yet who is making this decision? Who decides a drug only has one use? For all we know, the majority of drugs licensed for use for one purpose may actually have multiple purposes. Ah, wait! That is the problem. If one drug could treat multiple diseases and disorders, there would be no need for multiple different drugs and pharmaceutical companies would make less money. Let us leave it that there shall only be the brand and generic viagra. For any other disorder, there must be a new and expensive drug.