Research undertaken by Pfizer has prompted the pharmaceutical company to take legal action against the hundreds of spammers selling fake or generic Viagra on the internet. A survey revealed that 25% of men thought that the emails actually came from Pfizer. If that really is the case, then I’d say that erection problems aren’t their only problem – they need to buy some clever pills too.
There is no such thing as generic Viagra (known as sildenafil citrate) because the drug has not be approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US – makes you wonder what it is these people are buying.
Pfizer are now working with US law enforcement agencies and the FDA to track down and prosecute those illegally selling, or claiming to sell, Viagra. They already have organisations and 24 websites targeted. Alongside all of this legal activity, they have a new public awareness campaign to educate the public on the dangers of buying random, unprescribed pills off the internet.
“Pfizer is taking these steps to help raise consumer awareness about the problems posed by illegitimate online ‘pharmacies’ and to directly address the source of these problems,” said Jeff Kindler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Pfizer. “We want it clearly known that Pfizer does not send or support the sending of spam, which comes from websites that illegally use the Viagra name to promote and market unapproved ED products that may contain ingredients that either do not provide optimal efficacy or may pose health risks.”
Research shows that younger men are now taking Viagra recreationally as a lifestyle drug, and this coupled with the fact that some people are still stupid to buy things they read about in spam, means that there will be no quick end to impotence-related emails any time soon.
Worryingly, Pfizer have just lost patent protection for Viagra in China, so look forward to a sudden flood of legal sildenafil spam coming from there.
