VIVUS Inc. (VVUS) is on the upswing today, after the company reported positive results from a late-stage trial of its treatment for erectile dysfunction. Not only does avanifil result in a surprisingly high "magnitude of success in the first 15 minutes," but the treatment was also well-tolerated. The company noted that "there were no drug-related serious adverse events in the study," and added that there were low rates of common side effects, including headache and flushing.

VIVUS is entering a crowded market with its erectile dysfunction drug, with heavyweights such as Viagra and Cialis boasting substantial market share. However, "Knowing that avanafil can be effective within 15 minutes should create an attractive position in the PDE5 market," asserted Charles Bowden, M.D., who serves as senior director of clinical development.

The markets were higher before the economic data came to ruin the party. CPI came in higher than PPI on the inflation front, but there was a real disappointment in housing starts considering that many were expecting gains there. Oil inventory contractions across the board failed to boost that market considerably. A late day rally looked like a positive close was in the cards, but the buying action was only so much.

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For some people, Viagra and other ED drugs are considered to be scandalous. For others, it's just the beginning to the tremendous potential for the treatment of sex-related "illnesses." But that's where the problem has come for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) - the definition of illness. In recent years, J&J has pursued a medicinal treatment for premature ejaculation.

For most people it is pretty obvious that erectile disfunction is a classifiable illness. However, premature ejaculation is much more controversial. In fact, the FDA even rejected the first premature ejaculation treatment in 2005 because "regulators questioned whether helping men last longer during sex was a clear medical benefit," according to a recent AP article. But this is not preventing J&J from advancing the development of its premature ejaculation treatment, in fact the company hasn't ruled out re-applying for FDA approval of the drug, although it does plan on focusing on European and Canadian markets.

In my opinion, if a treatment for any issue is able to make a patient happier, I don't see the necessity to define the illness, as long as the side effects are well-understood and well-stated. While premature ejaculation isn't going to hurt anyone on a physical level like a disease, on a psychological level I'd argue that it certainly has its ramifications. in addition, if we're defining an illness, what are the physical results of erectile disfunction - in my opinion, it also seems like a much more psychologically-painful and lifestyle-inhibiting illness.