The first clinical drugs trail for viagra were held, surprisingly in Wales.
Swansea in fact back in 1994.
The Welsh produced fictionalised story of the men who joined that trail was shown on tv recently to much acclaim. The movie is called Men Up , and it starred an all Welsh cast led by Iwan Rheon and Mark Lewis Jones .
I found the story of Eddie O’Connor ( Paul Rhys) incredibly moving and this, his speech, as he is ousted from the research trial for being a gay man, incredibly powerful
I've been so lucky as a gay man to never have had the need to lie about my sexuality. I stand upon the shoulders of giants who through their bravery made this a possibility for me.
ReplyDeleteMe too mave….you put it beautifully
DeleteMave,
DeleteI like what you said
Lee
The TikTok clip makes me think that I should watch it. Thanks for the heads up as they say.
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting and worthy production
DeleteI didn’t know this piece of history about viagra. Why was Swansea chosen for the trial? I hope to find the movie somewhere. Jean in Winnipeg.
ReplyDeletePfizer The drug company involved was based in kent ( ive driven past it a million times , indeed my ex mother in law worked for them)
DeleteThey chose South Wales for the research base because of the large numbers of unemployed men who could take part in the trials
An interesting back story about the research participants. I hope Pfizer gave them a monetary honorarium. Thanks for the reply John. Jean in Winnipeg
DeleteWow John, that was a powerful clip. And so true.
ReplyDeleteHe has a power …a great performance by Rhys
DeleteWell, John, you've done it again! I seem to have something in my eyes. As a straight, white woman, I can't begin to imagine how some people have to live a lie for most, if not all their lives. xx
ReplyDeleteI came out when the trial started
DeleteThe bad old days of lying as a survival skill.
ReplyDeleteI know how very sad
DeleteI am one that rarely cries but I burst into tears. Jackie
ReplyDeleteI’ve watched it again, it’s not just the beautifully written speech that moves you, but Rhys’ performance which is so well judged
DeleteYou're so right. Powerful.
ReplyDeleteI have looked for the research paper today albeit rather briefly, I’m interested to find out why gay men were excluded
DeleteWonderfully acted. Very moving.
ReplyDeleteHe’s a great actor
DeleteWow!
ReplyDelete🌈🌪
DeleteThis is a very moving and heartfelt clip. I will look for the movie.
ReplyDeletePlease do, it’s a great film
DeleteIdiots.
ReplyDeleteBut it' was the nineties, no? Also, if they only knew that gay men would go for the blue angel in droves...
XOXO
I came out the same time 🌈
DeleteThis was wonderful! Thank you for finding this clip and posting it. JanF
ReplyDeleteI recommend the movie , I really do
DeleteNothing has ever moved me more re. relationships and subterfuge, than Russell T Davis production ' lt's a Sin ' back in 2021. I remember those times in the 1980's and 90's so well, working in the West End with all my lovely gay friends and lots of them had run away to London to escape the judgemental 'small town/ small minds' gossip that followed them.
ReplyDeleteI even had a friend that used to pretend to be the girlfriend of a top barister in the Temples and went to all the posh dinners at Lincolns Inn so that the guy was able to further his career, and he was well on his way up even then but had to fake being straight. TF we have moved on since then. Tess
Russell T Davies is one of the producers I believe
DeleteVery moving clip, have tears in my eyes. Gigi
ReplyDeleteSee the film, you will be laughing then crying
DeleteThank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteXx
DeleteIncredibly powerful and moving. Thank you for sharing, John dear.
ReplyDeleteWelcome I would recommend that everyone see this movie . Only 90 minutes long, it has huge things to say about make sexuality
DeleteI hadn't heard of this show but I'll watch for it. It's sometimes easy to forget how far we've come in a relatively short period of time. (And how the struggle isn't over in certain environments and around certain people!)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/29/men-up-review-drug-viagra-masterpiece-tv#:~:text=The%2090%2Dminute%20tale%20of,their%20situations%20–%20never%20for%20laughs.
DeleteHave a look
DeleteOMG
Deletea short but totally profound piece of film
Beautiful accent
Do you sound similar john. ?
Keith
Xx
Lol no Keith
DeleteI used to have a more Yorkshire accent , of which I was very proud , the north wales accent is softer than the South Wales accent seen on the film
There is a slight Liverpudlian influence in the north Wales accent where live, less in the west
It was a moving clip, the actors were very good.
ReplyDeleteI've worked on some clinical trials, one very long one with Pfizer for over 3 years, Exubera, a inhaled insulin that was stopped for questionable reasons.
I know a couple people who worked on the Viagra trials, and even they were astounded at the amount of money Pfizer poured into the study. They saw a drug that had marketability of no drug before, and a bonanza for their stockholders.
One has to wonder, or at least I do, what could have been done for actual diseases, if the same interest had been focused there.
I'm sorry for injecting a negative note here, just what I'm thinking, in my dotage.
Viagra was originally developed to treat high blood pressure and angina. It was only when a certain side effect was noted that it became the success it is now. I do agree though, that oodles of money seems to be spend re-inventing the wheel, when other diseases have little cash input.
ReplyDeleteI used to work in an Adult Day Programme which provided some respite to partners of seniors with multiple comorbidities including dementia. I remember one woman coming in absolutely furious and demanding to see her husband's doctor. The husband had dementia and a few other ailments. His doctor gave him Viagra. As his wife put it, I'm over 75, thought that part of my life was over and now I have horny, confused man chasing me around the house!. I never did find out how it all ended.
ReplyDeleteI also remember hearing that the clinical trials for Viagra were small and more limited than the trials for the initial Covid vaccine.
I must say, John, that all the gay men I've known since I first moved to London in 1965, and up to today, not one of them ever had any intention of hiding who or what they were. At present we have gay neighbours on one side, and they are treated exactly the same as everyone else. I really cannot understand why they should be treated otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI watched Men Up when it was shown on TV and found it very moving and in a way sad that gay men were excluded from the trial. We have come a long way since then.
ReplyDelete