Spray treats premature ejaculation

A new topical spray, called PSD502 is a safe and effective treatment for premature ejaculation.

One current treatment for premature ejaculation consists of topical creams with desensitising agents which dull the penile skin and delay ejaculation. Although effective, these creams require use of a condom and/or washing the cream away before intercourse, and they may reduce sexual pleasure.

Researchers have shown that a new topical spray, consisting of an aerosol formulation of lidocaine and prilocaine, is effective and easy to use. It selectively desensitises penile skin, affecting only the non-keratinized skin (the inner lining of the foreskin and the surface of the glans), without adversely affecting the sensation of ejaculation. This new treatment can be applied five minutes prior to intercourse.

Researchers presented data on the spray's efficacy during a presentation of their randomised, Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA).

Study results promising
A total of 300 men with premature ejaculation, diagnosed using the International Society of Sexual Medicine's definition (intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time of a minute or less), participated in this study. The participants were divided into two groups, one applied the PSD502 spray and the other applied a placebo spray five minutes prior to sexual intercourse. Both groups had an average baseline of 0.6 minutes latency time before ejaculation. After treatment, the PSD502 group improved to a latency time of four minutes; the placebo group only improved to one minute. The spray was well tolerated by both patients and partners, with no systemic or serious adverse events reported. Only 2.6% of the PSD502 group reported any treatment-related adverse events, compared to 1% of the placebo group.

"Premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions in men. It occurs in 20% to 30% of men of all ages, and we need an effective, patient-friendly treatment for this distressing problem," said Dr Ira D Sharlip, an AUA spokesman. "This new topical spray has promise to become one of the most effective treatments for premature ejaculation. It has a number of characteristics which will be attractive to patients with premature ejaculation." – (EurekAlert!, April 2009)

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