'Love Potion' Lawsuit
N E W Y O R K, April 26 -- Which sex aid came first: the mysterious blue liquid or the little blue pill?
The U.S. distributor of the blue drink called "Niagara" said today that it was created in Sweden under that name in 1993, years before the better-known erectile dysfunction remedy Viagra hit the market.
But pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which produces the drug Viagra, claims Arkansas café owner Lari Williams, the sole U.S. purveyor of the so-called love potion, is capitalizing on the success of its product and the familiarity of its name.
Pzifer is taking Williams to federal court in Little Rock to try to stop her from selling the drink under the name "Niagara." The liquid, which Williams says she has been selling in little blue bottles with great success, is said to help arouse desire in women — though there is no scientific proof, and some women who take it report no effect.
Legalities of Romance Remedies
A court hearing scheduled for today was put off until August at the request of Pzifer, which says it needs to investigate some new information in the case.
Williams, appearing on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America today, said she thinks the whole case will somehow work itself out.
"Some days I wish I had never discovered the little blue bottle," she said.
Williams says the name has nothing to do with the pill. "I do believe that is has to do with Niagara Falls, that's how they came up with the name Niagara," she said.
Williams says the drink reflects the romance, force and shade of the water falls.
The drink has never been marketed as a drug, and is sold as an herbal supplement. Williams calls it a mood enhancer that works best with dim lighting, comfortable seating, and someone you love. Although some consumers have told her it did nothing for them, others have come back to order more.
"I definitely try not to drink it alone, you know," said Niagara fan Diane Shelton. "I'd have to go for a long jog and a cold shower. I mean, why waste it?"
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