This is great. As a physician, wrapped up in all the science and side effects and costs, it's often hard for me to see what the important differentiating points about treatments will be from the patients' side. The fact is that, the flurry of posts about the duration of action just focused for me where the important distinction lies. Stop the presses, forget the Love Boat, Throw Gavin McCloud overboard, GET ME THE EVEREADY BUNNY !!!!
I alluded to this in a previous post. I can tell now I was highlighting the wrong parts. My next post will show a little bit about what lots of dollars do in the "altruistic" world of medical research.
First a recap of the Facts:
exchange2000.com
Sildenafil, a novel effective oral therapy for male erectile dysfunction.
Boolell M, Gepi-Attee S, Gingell JC, Allen MJ
Department of Urology, Southmead Hospital, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, UK.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and safety of sildenafil, a novel orally active inhibitor of the type-V cyclic guanosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase (the predominant isoenzyme in the human corpus cavernosum) on penile erectile activity in patients with male erectile dysfunction of no established organic cause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients (aged 36-63 years) with male erectile dysfunction of no established organic cause were entered into a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study which was conducted in two phases. In the first phase (four-way crossover), treatment efficacy was evaluated by measurements of penile rigidity using penile plethysmography during visual sexual stimulation at different doses of sildenafil (10, 25 and 50 mg or placebo). In the second phase (two-way crossover), efficacy was assessed by a diary record of penile erectile activity after single daily doses of sildenafil (25 mg) or placebo for 7 days.
RESULTS: The mean (95% confidence interval, CI) duration of rigidity of > 80% at the base of the penis was 1.3 min (0.4-3.1) in patients on placebo, 3.5 min (1.6-7.3; P = 0.009) on 10 mg, 8.0 min (3.7-16.7; P = 0.003) on 25 mg and 11.2 min (5.6-22.3; P < 0.001) on 50 mg of sildenafil.
The mean (95% CI) duration of rigidity of > 80% at the tip of the penis was 1.2 min (0.4-2.7) on placebo and 7.4 min (2.4-8.5; P = 0.001) on 50 mg sildenafil.
From the diary record of daily erectile activity, the mean (95% CI) total number of erections was significantly higher in patients receiving sildenafil was 6.1 (3.2-11.4), compared with 1.3 (0.5-2.7) in those on placebo; 10 of 12 patients reported improved erectile activity while receiving sildenafil, compared with two of 12 on placebo (P = 0.018). Six patients on active treatment and five on placebo reported mild and transient adverse events which included headache, dyspepsia and pelvic musculo-skeletal pain.
exchange2000.com
Effect on Women Sexually
Let's face it, drugs for ED are made to treat a problem that affects two people. It's not just about erections. It's also not an issue of conception, very few men seek treatment of impotence for fertility reasons. When I first looked at the Vivus web site I was struck by the fact that 90% of the named researchers were women. It struck me then that this is a treatment for women, that is given to men. Any treatment that increases the frequency of attempted, yet unsuccessful intercourse (ie. assault with a dead weapon) is going to be a resounding commercial flop. Again, I'm not knocking Viagra here but I would like to see studies for all ED products have a satisfaction rating from the subject's partner included in the data. I can't compare the results on the two but try this out: "Viagra to get him started, and Muse to let her finish", perhaps some joint marketing efforts in the future??
Read my next post to see how doing research in ED causes Memory loss in the head Research Scientist.
Zebra
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