Sexual MedicineExtended Duration of Efficacy of Vardenafil When Taken 8 Hours Before Intercourse: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Therefore, the use of such combinations is not recommended.

Physicians should discuss with patients the contraindication of LEVITRA with regular and/or intermittent use of organic nitrates.

Side Effects

There have been rare reports of prolonged erections greater than 4 hours and priapism (painful erections greater than 6 hours in duration) for this class of compounds, including vardenafil. In the event that an erection persists longer than 4 hours, the patient should seek immediate medical assistance. If priapism is not treated immediately, penile tissue damage and permanent loss of potency may result. There are no controlled clinical data on the safety or efficacy of LEVITRA in the following patients; and therefore its use is not recommended until further information is available. unstable angina; hypotension (resting systolic blood pressure of <90 mmHg); uncontrolled hypertension (>170/110 mmHg); recent history of stroke, life-threatening arrhythmia, or myocardial infarction (within the last 6 months); severe cardiac failure known hereditary degenerative retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa The evaluation of erectile dysfunction should include a determination of potential underlying causes, a medical assessment, and the identification of appropriate treatment.

Mol Pharmacol

Before prescribing LEVITRA, it is important to note the following: Caution is advised when PDE5 inhibitors are co-administered with alpha-blockers. Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, including LEVITRA, and alpha-adrenergic blocking agents are both vasodilators with blood-pressure lowering effects. When vasodilators are used in combination, an additive effect on blood pressure may be anticipated. In some patients, concomitant use of these two drug classes can lower blood pressure significantly (see PRECAUTIONS,Drug Interactions) leading to symptomatic hypotension (e.g., fainting). Consideration should be given to the following: Patients should be stable on alpha-blocker therapy prior to initiating a PDE5 inhibitor. Patients should be counseled that concomitant use of

LEVITRA with nitrates could cause blood pressure to

suddenly drop to an unsafe level, resulting in

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

LEVITRA significantly improved the overall per-patient rate of achieving an erection sufficient for penetration (SEP2) (61% on 10 mg and 64% on 20 mg LEVITRA compared to 36% on placebo; p <0.0001). LEVITRA demonstrated a clinically meaningful and statistically significant increase in the overall per-patient rate of maintenance of erection to successful intercourse (SEP3) (49% on 10 mg, 54% on 20 mg LEVITRA compared to 23% on placebo; p <0.0001). Trial in Patients with ED after Radical Prostatectomy: LEVITRA demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in erectile function in a prospective, fixed-dose (10 and 20 mg LEVITRA), double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in post-prostatectomy patients (n=427, mean age 60, range 44-77 years; 93% White, 5% Black, 2% Other). Significant improvements in the EF Domain were shown in this study (EF Domain scores of 15 on 10 mg LEVITRA and 15 on 20 mg LEVITRA compared to 9 on placebo; p <0.0001). LEVITRA significantly improved the overall per-patient rate of achieving an erection sufficient for penetration (SEP2) (47% on 10 mg and 48% on 20 mg LEVITRA compared to 22% on placebo; p <0.0001).

Vardenafil preclinical trial data: potency, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and adverse events

LEVITRA demonstrated a clinically meaningful and statistically significant increase in the overall per-patient rate of maintenance of erection to successful intercourse (SEP3) (37% on 10 mg, 34% on 20 mg LEVITRA compared to 10% on placebo; p <0.0001). Nitrates: Administration of LEVITRA with nitrates (either regularly and/or intermittently) and nitric oxide donors is contraindicated (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacodynamics, Effects on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate when LEVITRA is Combined with Nitrates). Consistent with the effects of PDE5 inhibition on the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, PDE5 inhibitors may potentiate the hypotensive effects of nitrates. A suitable time interval following LEVITRA dosing for the safe administration of nitrates or nitric oxide donors has not been determined. Hypersensitivity: LEVITRA is contraindicated for patients with a known hypersensitivity to any component of the tablet. dizziness, syncope, or even heart attack or stroke.

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid Vardenafil.
• Consult a healthcare provider about safe options.
• Use only as directed by your physician.

Physicians should inform their patients that in some patients concomitant use of PDE5 inhibitors,

including LEVITRA, with alpha-blockers can lower blood

What Is Vardenafil?

General: Physicians should consider the cardiovascular status of their patients, since there is a degree of cardiac risk associated with sexual activity. In men for whom sexual activity is not recommended because of their underlying cardiovascular status, any treatment for erectile dysfunction, including LEVITRA, generally should not be used. Left Ventricular Outflow Obstruction: Patients with left ventricular outflow obstruction, e.g., aortic stenosis and idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, can be sensitive to the action of vasodilators including Type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Blood Pressure Effects: LEVITRA has systemic vasodilatory properties that resulted in transient decreases in supine blood pressure in healthy volunteers (mean maximum decrease of 7 mmHg systolic and 8 mmHg diastolic) (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacodynamics). While this normally would the pink pill for women be expected to be of little consequence in most patients, prior to prescribing LEVITRA, physicians should carefully consider whether their patients with underlying cardiovascular disease could be affected adversely by such vasodilatory effects.

Who should not take vardenafil?

Long-term safety information is not available on the concomitant administration of vardenafil with HIV protease inhibitors. Concomitant administration with ritonavir or indinavir substantially increases plasma concentrations of vardenafil. Because ritonavir prolongs LEVITRA elimination half-life (5 to 6-fold), no more than a single 2.5 mg dose of LEVITRA should be taken in a 72-hour period by patients also taking ritonavir. Patients taking indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir or other potent CYP3A4 inhibitors such as clarithromycin, ketoconazole 400 mg daily, or itraconazole 400 mg daily should not exceed a dose of LEVITRA 2.5 mg once daily. For patients taking ketoconazole 200 mg daily or itraconazole 200 mg daily, a single dose of 5 mg LEVITRA should not be exceeded in a 24-hour period (see PRECAUTIONS,Drug Interactions and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). pressure significantly leading to symptomatic hypotension (e.g., fainting).

Can You Overdose on Vardenafil?

These observations should be considered in clinical decisions when prescribing LEVITRA to patients with known history of QT prolongation or patients who are taking medications known to prolong the QT interval. amiodarone, sotalol) antiarrhythmic medications or those with congenital QT prolongation, should avoid using LEVITRA. In patients with moderate (CLcr = 30-50 ml/min) to severe (CLcr<30 ml/min) renal impairment, the AUC of vardenafil was 20 – 30% higher compared to that observed in a control group with normal renal function (CLcr>80 ml/min) (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacokinetics in Special Populations). Vardenafil pharmacokinetics have not been evaluated in patients requiring renal dialysis. General: In humans, vardenafil alone in doses up to 20 mg does not prolong the bleeding time.

More common

There is no clinical evidence of any additive prolongation of the bleeding time when vardenafil is administered with aspirin. Vardenafil has not been administered to patients with bleeding disorders or significant active peptic ulceration. Therefore LEVITRA should be administered to these patients after careful benefit-risk assessment. Treatment for erectile dysfunction should generally be used with caution by patients with anatomical deformation of the penis (such as angulation, cavernosal fibrosis, or Peyronie’s disease) or by patients who have conditions that may predispose them to priapism (such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia). The safety and efficacy of LEVITRA used in combination with other treatments for erectile dysfunction have not been studied. Patients prescribed LEVITRA who are taking alpha-blockers should be started on the

How Effective is Vardenafil?

Patients who demonstrate hemodynamic instability on alpha-blocker therapy alone are at increased risk of symptomatic hypotension with concomitant use of PDE5 inhibitors. In those patients who are stable on alpha-blocker therapy, PDE5 inhibitors should be initiated at the lowest recommended starting dose (see DOSAGE and ADMINISTRATION). In those patients already taking an optimized dose of PDE5 inhibitor, alpha-blocker therapy should be initiated at the lowest dose. Stepwise increase in alpha-blocker dose may be associated with further lowering of blood pressure in patients taking a PDE5 inhibitor. Safety of combined use of PDE5 inhibitors and alpha-blockers may be affected by other variables, including intravascular volume depletion and other anti-hypertensive drugs.

How does vardenafil work (mechanism of action)?

In volunteers with moderate impairment (Child-Pugh B), the Cmax and AUC following a 10 mg vardenafil dose were increased 130% and 160%, respectively, compared to healthy control subjects. Consequently, a starting dose of 5 mg is recommended for patients with moderate hepatic impairment and the maximum dose should not exceed 10 mg (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY,Pharmacokinetics in Special Populations, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). Vardenafil has not been evaluated lady era tablets in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C). Congenital or Acquired QT Prolongation: In a study of the effect of LEVITRA on QT interval in 59 healthy males (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY,Electrophysiology), therapeutic (10 mg) and supratherapeutic (80 mg) doses of LEVITRA and the active control moxifloxacin (400 mg) produced similar increases in QTc interval. A postmarketing study evaluating the effect of combining LEVITRA with another drug of comparable QT effect showed an additive QT effect when compared with either drug alone (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY,Electrophysiology). lowest recommended starting dose of LEVITRA (see Drug Interactions and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).

• Vardenafil is often prescribed after other ED medications.
• It is available by prescription only.
• Always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions.