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American Morning

Viagra Gum

Aired June 17, 2003 - 09:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just when you thought you heard it all, the folks that make Wrigley's chewing gum have plans to try to make Viagra chewing gum.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here to explain this one for us. He can take this one.

Good morning again.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I got toe tell, I'm getting a lot of jokes about this.

But it is a sort of serious topic, no question. Thirty million men have erectile dysfunction. And certainly that speaks to the popularity of Viagra. This medication released back in 1998. It's been around five years, although it seems like a lot longer.

1998, it was originally released as a medication to affect chest pain. It affects the blood vessels all over the body, including in the chest. And that was why the medication was originally released.

The patent, by the way, expires in 2011. That's going to be important to be a second. A very popular medication, 1.7 billion in sales over the last year alone; nine pills per second, that's how often this medication is taken.

Ad you mentioned, Wrigley's, trying to give the company a lift, they actually applied for a patent to develop a Viagra chewing gum. This would be a chewing gum you actually chew about a half hour before sex. Chew it about two minutes, and it should give you some of the same effects of the little blue pill that's become so popular. This isn't the first time. This isn't unprecedented that a chewing gum might also contain a medication. Certainly people have heard about Nicorette for antismoking. They've heard about asthma-type medication in chewing gum as well, antacids. A lot of those don't require prescriptions. This would. But the important point here, this is a long ways away.

People are certainly talking about it, certainly getting a lot of headlines, a lot of print, a lot of time on this show.

But it's not -- it's 2011 before the patent even expires. So we're talking at least eight years.

KAGAN: But just real quickly, whether it's Viagra or another drug, why would someone rather have gum than just take a pill? GUPTA: Well, there are some specific reasons for that. You know, people who have difficult taking pills. There are the chewing gum, as well as some other medications you've been given in chewing gums. You can take a look there. They could be fast acting, good tasting. Improved dosage, even though that's a little controversial. Sometimes if people chew the gum too fast, they don't chew it long enough, you may not get enough of the medication in there, people who have weak stomachs.

The little blue pill, people some complain of GI (ph) upset with this particular medication, Viagra. It's the chewing gum may provide a little bit of benefit there. But you know, eight years before people -- we talked to the spokespeople both at Viagra, as well as Wrigley's, they say they don't really have plans right now. They've applied for this patent, yes, it could be a Viagra chewing gum, yes, but it's eight years away.

KAGAN: Eight years away. So in the meantime, little blue pill.

GUPTA: Sanjay, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 17, 2003 - 09:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just when you thought you heard it all, the folks that make Wrigley's chewing gum have plans to try to make Viagra chewing gum.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here to explain this one for us. He can take this one.

Good morning again.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I got toe tell, I'm getting a lot of jokes about this.

But it is a sort of serious topic, no question. Thirty million men have erectile dysfunction. And certainly that speaks to the popularity of Viagra. This medication released back in 1998. It's been around five years, although it seems like a lot longer.

1998, it was originally released as a medication to affect chest pain. It affects the blood vessels all over the body, including in the chest. And that was why the medication was originally released.

The patent, by the way, expires in 2011. That's going to be important to be a second. A very popular medication, 1.7 billion in sales over the last year alone; nine pills per second, that's how often this medication is taken.

Ad you mentioned, Wrigley's, trying to give the company a lift, they actually applied for a patent to develop a Viagra chewing gum. This would be a chewing gum you actually chew about a half hour before sex. Chew it about two minutes, and it should give you some of the same effects of the little blue pill that's become so popular. This isn't the first time. This isn't unprecedented that a chewing gum might also contain a medication. Certainly people have heard about Nicorette for antismoking. They've heard about asthma-type medication in chewing gum as well, antacids. A lot of those don't require prescriptions. This would. But the important point here, this is a long ways away.

People are certainly talking about it, certainly getting a lot of headlines, a lot of print, a lot of time on this show.

But it's not -- it's 2011 before the patent even expires. So we're talking at least eight years.

KAGAN: But just real quickly, whether it's Viagra or another drug, why would someone rather have gum than just take a pill? GUPTA: Well, there are some specific reasons for that. You know, people who have difficult taking pills. There are the chewing gum, as well as some other medications you've been given in chewing gums. You can take a look there. They could be fast acting, good tasting. Improved dosage, even though that's a little controversial. Sometimes if people chew the gum too fast, they don't chew it long enough, you may not get enough of the medication in there, people who have weak stomachs.

The little blue pill, people some complain of GI (ph) upset with this particular medication, Viagra. It's the chewing gum may provide a little bit of benefit there. But you know, eight years before people -- we talked to the spokespeople both at Viagra, as well as Wrigley's, they say they don't really have plans right now. They've applied for this patent, yes, it could be a Viagra chewing gum, yes, but it's eight years away.

KAGAN: Eight years away. So in the meantime, little blue pill.

GUPTA: Sanjay, thank you for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com