A phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction.
Sold under the trade names Levitra
Routes of administration Oral
Bioavailability 15%
Protein binding 95%
Metabolism by Hepatic (CYP3A4)
Elimination half-life 4–5 hours
Excretion Biliary
Indications and contraindications are the same as with other PDE5 inhibitors.
Has relatively shorter effective time is comparable to but somewhat longer than sildenafil’s.
May be effective in the treatment of premature ejaculation, where it may significantly increase the time from penetration to ejaculation.
Adverse drug reactions: nausea and infrequent side effects are abdominal pain, back pain, photosensitivity, abnormal vision, eye pain, facial edema, hypotension, palpitation, tachycardia, arthralgia, myalgia, rash, itch, and priapism.
A rare, side effect is a heart attack.
It may cause priapism.
Possible deafness can occur.
Should not be used by people taking nitrate medications, because combining them with vardenafil might provoke potentially life-threatening hypotension.
It causes lengthening of the QT interv, and should not be taken by people taking other medications that affect the QT interval, such as amiodarone.
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 and isn equivalent to 50 mg of sildenafil.
Should be taken 1 to 2 hours prior to sexual activity, with a maximum dose frequency of once per day.
Per patient success rates for penetration and maintenance of erection for intercourse is 89% and 78%, respectively.
Effective for up to 2 years of treatment.
Improves reliability of penetration, maintenance of erection, and improved sexual experience compared to placebo.
Intitial dose of 10 mg provides a high percentage of patients with sexual success compared to placebo.
Proportion of patients with success at first attempt 87% for penetration and 74% for maintenance of erection with high mean per patient penetration and maintenance success rates of 83% and 77%, respectively.
Should not be taken with any alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists because of blood pressure drop.