The rise and rise…and rise of Viagra: How the ‘little blue pill’ was discovered by accident after Welsh miners took part in trials for new angina drug with unexpected results – before it ended up in millions of bedrooms across the world

When sildenafil was first developed in the late 1980s, there were high hopes that it would help treat angina.

The drug, which was synthesized at Pfizer’s laboratory in Sandwich, Kent, underwent a series of clinical trials, but the results were disappointing.

It wasn’t until 1993 – when experts were considering abandoning the project – that a rather welcome side effect was noticed during a trial in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

The male volunteers, believed to be former miners, all reported experiencing long-lasting erections.

After further successful trials in Swansea and Bristol, what became known as Viagra became available by prescription in 1998, and the lives of millions of men were changed.

Now new BBC drama Men Up – inspired by the 1994 trial at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital – will retell the story of how one of the world’s most successful drugs was developed.

Before the drug hit the market, men with erectile dysfunction had few options.

One was a vacuum device used to pump the penis into an erect position, another was an injection to be performed five minutes before making love.

Both treatments had the unsurprising effect of being a clear turn-off.

Viagra works by triggering a chemical reaction that facilitates blood flow to the penis, leading to an erection.

The catalyst is the release of nitric oxide, which stimulates the presence of a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).

This is the ‘message’ that tells the muscles to relax and allow blood flow.

However, cGMP’s effect is hindered by a ‘hostile’ chemical known as PDE5, which reduces its potency.

Viagra removes the discomfort, making it effective for most men.

Chemist Sir Simon Campbell, who has since been dubbed the ‘father of Viagra’ for his role in researching the drug, previously spoke to BBC radio about the project.

He said: ‘This was purely a cardiovascular project and we were very disappointed in the cardiovascular studies when we saw very little.

“And so there were thoughts at the company: ‘let’s stop the program, maybe it won’t work.’

“But the decision was made: let’s do a final 10-day study, in volunteers, with the maximum tolerated dose, and let’s see what we find.”

Initially, “not that much” was noticed in the subjects, other than some “gastral intestinal disturbances,” Dr. Campbell said.

But the men involved noted that they got “very, very hard erections,” biologist Dr. Peter Ellis – who was also involved in the project – said.

Dr. Ellis added: “Pfizer conducted 21 clinical trials in patients with erectile dysfunction.

‘The drug Viagra was effective in all those studies. That’s quite remarkable.’

The patients loved the drug so much that some refused to give it back at the end of the trial.

The original plan was to name the new drug ‘Alond’, but when the team discovered they couldn’t use it, they came up with Viagra.

In March 1998, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) became the first official agency to approve Viagra for use, and it was marketed in Britain shortly afterwards.

Sales immediately went through the roof. Millions of men celebrated that they could lead a normal sex life again after years of impotence.

In its first decade, almost 30 million men worldwide were prescribed Viagra, with sales exceeding £1 billion.

Some men reported being able to engage in sexual activity for 12 hours after taking just one tablet, which was a distinctive blue color.

Speaking to the Ny Breaking in 1997, engineer Martin Kenny, who took part in one of the studies after experiencing problems with sex due to stress, said: ‘The drug has completely changed my life. It definitely put me back on track.”

In 2013, Pfizer’s exclusive 15-year patent on the drug expired, meaning cheaper, generic versions became available without a prescription.

Considering that one in five men in Britain (4.3 million) suffer from erectile dysfunction, it has remained extremely popular.

Its flooding into popular culture was also rapid. In 1999, Samantha, a main character from the hit series Sex and the City, was seen dating a wealthy older man who was taking the blue pills.

Hollywood star Jack Nicholson joked: ‘I only take Viagra when there’s more than one of me’.

TV star Richard Madeley revealed he and his wife Judy had shared a Viagra experience.

Madeley said: ‘It makes everything last longer. But it is by no means an aphrodisiac.’

However, sex counselors also noted that some men showed a “worrying tendency” to leave their partners for younger women once their problems were solved by the drug.

It also emerged that the number of sexually transmitted infections among older men in Florida soared after many visited prostitutes.

In Britain there was a huge increase in divorce cases, fueled by what one lawyer called “Viagra-fueled adultery.”

Pfizer continues to make a key ingredient for Viagra at its factory in the small Irish village of Ringaskiddy, which locals call “Viagra Falls.”

They claim they enjoy great sex lives thanks to the Viagra ‘in the air’.

The villagers claimed in 2017 that even dogs were affected by fumes from the factory, something Pfizer denied.

Viagra has also been used to treat other diseases, including pulmonary hypertension. Its use is also being investigated in tackling rare brain cancers.

The cast of Men Up includes Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon. He portrays Meurig, a man who longs for intimacy with his wife. The series is scheduled for next year.

The rise of the drug is also explored in the BBC documentary Keeping it Up, which will be broadcast next month.