December 2012 Archives

An 86-year-old New Yorker is claiming that Viagra caused him to lose his sight, and now he's seeking a whopping $2 million in damages. And he wants Pfizer to stop selling the drug.

According to the New York Post, Anthony Andresakis said he had concerns about the drug prior to taking it, but was assured by the manufacturer that any side effects would clear up shortly. Swallowing his fears, he gulped down the pills.

Now he claims the resulting vision problems, which have persisted since April, have robbed him of "the joy of life." Well, hopefully he got a little joie de vivre in there before the pills wore off and the vision problem kicked in.

Tell me - how many 86-year-olds don't have visual impairment? Chances are the guy just has cataracts.

While he's taken his case to a Manhattan federal court, I don't expect it to get much further - especially since he's chosen to represent himself in the legal proceedings.

It's sad and eerie to see such similar headlines so close together. Just a few days ago, NFL player Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend, then killed himself in front of the Kansas City Chiefs' facility.

Now in Brooklyn, Pfizer chemist Elsie Jones was apparently shot and killed by her husband, Peter Jones, who then committed suicide. The couple had been having marital problems for some time, and Elsie had spoken of moving out of their home and seeking a divorce. A note was found at the scene.

Most coverage of the story emphasizes the fact that Elsie Jones was a Pfizer chemist and worked for the company producing Viagra. Jones' sister reportedly said that she had been with Pfizer for 13 years, almost the whole time the popular erectile dysfunction drug has been available.

It's beside the point, of course, exactly what Jones' position or tenure with Pfizer was or her connection with Viagra. Two people have lost their lives in a violent act. But the press seems to play up the Viagra angle for the sake of an eye-catching headline, and at least one outlet observed the irony that while Jones helped the love lives of many, her own ended tragically.