Levitra (vardenafil HCl) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Co-developed and co-promoted by Bayer AG and GlaxoSmithKline plc, Levitra (pronounced Luh-VEE-trah) provides men with their first new ED treatment choice in five years. Levitra is expected to be available in pharmacies nationwide within the next few weeks.

"In clinical trials, Levitra was shown to work quickly. More importantly, Levitra was shown to improve the sexual response for the majority of men the first time they took it, and it worked consistently over time," said Myron Murdock, Levitra investigator and nationally recognized expert in the field of male sexual dysfunction.

"Given my positive experience in a clinical trial for Levitra, I am pleased it is now available," said Akhtar Qureshi, a happily married man for many years. "Over the past few years, I've noticed a change in my erectile function - the quality of the erection wasn't the same. In the clinical trial, Levitra worked consistently for me. I was able to count on my sexual response so I could perform the way that I knew I could."

Levitra is a medicine that may be used up to once a day to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Levitra is for use by prescription only. Men taking nitrate drugs, often used to control chest pain (also known as angina), should not take Levitra. Men who use alpha blockers, sometimes prescribed for high blood pressure or prostate symptoms, also should not take Levitra. Such combinations could cause blood pressure to drop to an unsafe level. The most commonly reported side effects are headache, flushing and stuffy or runny nose. Men who experience an erection for more than four hours should seek immediate medical attention.