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This Monday, December 4, 2017 photo shows Pfizer's Viagra, left, and the generic version of the company, Sildenafil Citrate, at Pfizer Inc., headquartered at New York. A version of sildenafil not made by Pfizer was used in a drug trial that had to be stopped immediately. (Photo: Richard Drew, AP)
A Dutch hospital reported that it stopped a clinical trial after the death of 11 babies whose mothers were taking the generic version of a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.
The purpose of the trial was to determine whether sildenafil, sometimes sold as Viagra, could help improve placental function and stimulate growth in severely underdeveloped babies.
The trial began in 2015, involving 183 mothers in 11 hospitals in the Netherlands, according to the University Medical Center in Amsterdam. In the trial, 93 mothers were treated with sildenafil, while another 90 received placebo.
Results revealed 11 babies whose mothers were treated with sildenafil died of a form of hypertension in the lungs. In the control group, three babies had lung disease, but none of them died.
"Previous studies have shown that sildenafil has a positive effect on the growth of babies," said the medical center. "The first results of the present study showed that there could be adverse effects for the baby after birth."
In a statement, Pfizer, makers of Viagra, said that they were not involved in the lawsuit.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @ brettmolina23 .
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