Date: April 12, 2006

Viagra, the erectile dysfunction drug from the house of American Pharmaceutical Giant Pfizer has proved to be a saving grace for a Korean child barely 13 months old.

Min-Seok, the 13 months old toddler is suffering from pulmonary hypertension, a disease where high blood pressure in the artery leading to the lungs prevents oxygen inhaled into the body from spreading into other parts of the body. When his parents come to know that there is no successful surgery to cure the ailment, they place their trust on Viagra, an erectile dysfunction drug, which is also used in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Min-Seok has been using Viagra since the day he was 100 days old. Viagra gives no involuntary erection to the boy, as Viagra gives an erection only when a user is sexually stimulated. However, the couple has to shell out a huge amount of money for Viagra, which is sold at W12000 (US$12) to W18000 per pill. Song Soo-Geun, vice president of the association of patients with pulmonary hypertension, said, “What’s worse is that drugs formally approved to treat the disease are more expensive than Viagra.”

The U.S Food and Drug Administration has given approval for the use of Viagra to treat pulmonary hypertension under the brand name Revatio, which has an insurance cover too. Pfizer is making plans to launch Revatio in Korea next year.

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