FDA requested that SEI Pharmaceuticals of Miami recall all Xiadafil VIP Tabs sold in eight-tablet bottles (Lot # 6K029) or blister cards of two tablets (Lot # 6K029-SEI) because these products contain a potentially harmful, undeclared ingredient that may dangerously affect a person's blood pressure

These lots of Xiadafil VIP Tabs bear an expiration date of September 2009 (09/09). Xiadafil VIP Tabs are marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement and able to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).

The formal request follows an action by the state of Florida to prevent the further distribution of the drug. On May 13, Florida officials issued a "stop sale" action at SEI's distribution facility in Miami.

FDA said the state's action required the firm to hold, intact, violative Xiadafil VIP Tabs found on-hand at the facility. The state of Florida's action to control the supply of the product, coupled with FDA's formal request to recall this product from the marketplace, will further reduce the likelihood that this potentially dangerous product is used by unsuspecting consumers.

FDA advised consumers not to buy or use any of the product, adding the agency may take further regulatory action against SEI Pharmaceuticals.

Although labeled as a dietary supplement and touted as "all-natural," Xiadafil VIP Tabs are an illegally marketed drug that contains a potentially harmful undeclared ingredient. FDA chemical analysis revealed that Xiadafil VIP Tabs contains hydroxyhomosildenafil, which is an analog of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, an FDA-approved prescription drug for ED.

This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and can lower blood pressure to life-threatening levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates. ED is a common problem in men with these medical conditions.

"Because these products are labeled as 'all natural dietary supplements,' consumers may assume that they are harmless and pose no health risk," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Drugs. "But an unsuspecting consumer with underlying medical issues may take these products without knowing that they can cause serious side effects and interact in dangerous ways with drugs that a consumer is already taking."

FDA has not approved Xiadafil VIP Tabs for ED or any other drug use, and the safety and effectiveness of this product is unknown. The product is promoted and sold over the Internet, was given away as free samples at trade shows, and is sold in health food stores nationwide. The product may be packaged in bottles of eight tablets or blister cards of two tablets.