20140911

VIAGRA

Viagra, or Sildenafil, as it's officially known, was originally conceived as a treatment for hypertension, angina, and other symptoms of heart disease. 

But Phase I clinical trials revealed that while the drug wasn’t great at treating what it was supposed to treat, male test subjects were experiencing a rather unexpected side effect: erections. 

A few years later, in 1998, the drug took U.S. markets by storm as a treatment for penile dysfunction and became an overnight success. 

It now rakes in an estimated $1.9 billion a year.