FDA warns of fake male sexual enhancement product

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The Food and Drug Administration warned on Tuesday of a counterfeit dietary supplement for male sexual enhancement that could be particularly harmful to patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.

In a safety warning posted on its website, the FDA said the fake product is represented as "ExtenZe Maximum Strength" and looks similar to the actual product, ExtenZe, which is made by Monrovia, California-based Biotab Nutraceuticals Inc.

The FDA said its analysis showed that the counterfeit ExtenZe contains sildenafil, an active ingredient in various FDA-approved prescription medicines, including Pfizer's Viagra, for erectile dysfunction. (r.reuters.com/dyj64v)

Biotab's ExtenZe does not contain sildenafil, which cannot be taken without a prescription. The counterfeit product is available online and elsewhere without a prescription.

Sildenafil may interact with nitrates -- found in some prescription drugs and often taken by men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease -- and could lower blood pressure to dangerous levels, the FDA said.

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