A United States AIDS treatment group plans to file a lawsuit Monday against pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc., saying its advertisements for the impotence drug Viagra portrayed the pill not as a clinical treatment, but as a "party drug."

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) said advertisements for Viagra encouraged widespread recreational use, particularly among gay men, and led to a rise of sexually transmitted diseases.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation alleges advertisements for Viagra illegally encouraged recreational use.
(CBC)

"Pfizer's direct-to-consumer marketing of Viagra as a drug to enhance sexual performance is primarily aimed at men who don't necessarily suffer from a clinical diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, and we believe it is not only irresponsible, but also illegal, especially in light of the drug's known use as part of a 'circuit party cocktail' of drugs that is fuelling the spread of STDs and HIV," Michael Weinstein, president of AHF, said in a release.

Pfizer spokeswoman Shreya Prudlo said the company is committed to consumer safety, noting that the drug is only dispensed with a prescription. Prudlo also told the news agency Reuters that the labels and promotions state that "Viagra does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV."

The AHF criticized two advertisements in particular, saying Pfizer's New Year's Eve and Super Bowl ads encouraged recreational use of the impotence drug. The advertisements, which ran in the Wall Street Journal and the L.A. Daily News, showed a man in his forties smiling at the camera. Taglines read: "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" and "Be this Sunday's MVP."

The lawsuit to be filed in Los Angeles Superior Court asks Pfizer to stop similar ad campaigns and sponsor education programs about sexually transmitted diseases and Viagra. The lawsuit also asks Pfizer to direct profits from the advertisements to pay AHF's treatment costs linked to use of the impotence pill.

Pfizer cut a 2004 television commercial featuring a devil-horned man, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration raised objections. A voiceover on the ad said, "Remember that guy who used to be called 'Wild Thing?' Yeah, that guy. He's back." The FDA said the ad made unsubstantiated effectiveness claims.