Eleven babies born to women given a Viagra-like drug for a Dutch drug trial have died, leading to the termination of the trial.
The trial was testing whether the medication Sildenafil, often sold under the brand name Viagra, could boost babies' growth in the womb.
Carried out in 11 hospitals across the Netherlands, the trial took on women whose placentas had been underperforming, The Guardian reports.
Sildenafil, which dilates the blood vessels, is commonly used by men who have erectile dysfunction.
Ninety-three women were given the drug during the trial which was led by the Amsterdam University Medical Centre.
Seventeen babies developed lung problems, 11 of which died. A further eight babies died of unrelated conditions.
A further 90 women in a control group took a placebo. Three of these women had children who developed similar lung issues and nine babies died from unrelated problems.
Between 10 and 15 mothers who took Sildenafil are waiting to see if their baby has been affected.
A spokesman for Amsterdam University Medical Centre told The Guardian the trial had been conducted properly, but expected there would be an external investigation.
The research began in 2015 and was expected to run until 2020, taking in 350 patients in total.
Newshub.
