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Vardenafil (Levitra) is a PDE5 inhibitor used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It can assist men with this disorder in achieving and maintaining an erection during sexual activity.
As a PDE5 inhibitor, vardenafil is closely related in both function and marketing to sildenafil and tadalafil; it has a relatively short effective time, comparable to sildenafil.
History
Vardenafil was co-marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) under the trade name Levitra. As of 2005, the co-promotion rights of GSK on Levitra have been "transferred back" to Bayer in many markets outside of the United States. In Italy, Bayer markets the product as Levitra and GSK markets the product as Vivanza.
Clinical use
Main page: PDE5 inhibitor
Indications and contraindications are as for other PDE5 inhibitors.
Adverse drug reactions
More common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are as per other PDE5 inhibitors and are listed on that page.
Common vardenafil-specific ADRs include: nausea. Infrequent ADRs include: abdominal pain, back pain, photosensitivity, abnormal vision, eye pain, facial oedema, hypertension, palpitation, tachycardia, arthralgia, myalgia, rash, itch, priapism. (Rossi, 2004)
Dose forms
It is available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg doses in round orange tablets. The normal starting dose is 10 mg (roughly equivalent to 50 mg of sildenafil). Vardenafil should be taken 25-60 minutes prior to sexual activity, with a maximum dose frequency of once per day.
Reference
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