Vardenafil: efficacy, tolerability and future directions

Abstract

Vardenafil is a short-acting PDE5 inhibitor used in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. It is the most potent and specific of the three commercially available PDE5 inhbitors, which may decrease incidence of side effects, although this has not been demonstrated clinically. Although its efficacy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction has been demonstrated in several studies, recent and continuing studies have shown vardenafil's promise as an effective agent in penile rehabilitation, decreasing lower urinary tract symptoms resulting from benign prostatic hyperplasia and management of pulmonary hypertension.