A team of scientists in Italy have recently published research that offers hope of the development of a new type of erectile dysfunction medication, but from a very unlikely source – the smell of rotten eggs. Strange as it sounds, there is a strong link between the noxious gas and a good sex life, namely that when the penis is erect, just before penetration hydrogen sulphide is released, the same gaseous compound that makes old eggs and car exhausts smell so repulsive.

The intriguing discovery was even made in a rather offbeat way, through tests done on the discarded penile tissue of male-to-female transsexuals, into which the gas was injected. The suggestion has been made that the gas helps cause the nerve cells to relax, allowing blood to flow to the penis and enable erection.

The discovery is so exciting because it has echoes of the research that lead to the development of the universally popular erectile dysfunction medication canada Viagra, one of the first treatments to be sold that helps men suffering from this very common problem. There are at the moment only three treatments that doctors agree are effective at combating the problem, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. The drugs are available for patients with certain conditions on the NHS, though many who are not eligible decide to buy Viagra and the other medications privately. However a spokesman from the Sexual Dysfunction Association has said that there is certainly a need for an “alternative…(as Viagra) is only about….80% to 85% effective for the general population“.

The field of erectile dysfunction medication is an interesting one, as many men still feel embarrassed to visit their GP with impotence problems, preferring to buy on the internet. As a recent application to sell Viagra over the counter was recently denied, it still can only be sold with a prescription from the doctor, but there are a small number of legal online clinics who do offer this service, which has proved extremely popular.

However the continued stigma attached to the disorder has resulted in a massive boom in illegal internet pharmacies offering ‘generic’ and counterfeit medications. Viagra, have led the fightback by the drugs companies, launching an aggressive campaign highlighting the dangers of buying illegal medication.

If a new erectile dysfunction medication is subsequently developed as a result of this research, the battle between the drugs companies will intensify still further. Though Pfizer no longer has the monopoly over ED medication, Viagra is still by far the drug with the most amount of brand recognition, but Cialis is remarkable for offering a markedly different result to Levitra and Viagra, which function in very similar ways. If the new treatment is noticeably different to the three already on the market, not only will men have greater choice but increased competition may result in a drop in prices, which will perhaps go some way to combating the growing sales in illegal pills.