Emerging treatments for premature ejaculation: focus on dapoxetine

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Andrology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Premature ejaculation (PE) is a prevalent condition impacting men and partners globally.
• Current treatments like long-acting SSRIs have limitations, including daily dosing and potential side effects.
• Psychological therapies offer short-term relief but lack long-term efficacy data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dapoxetine, a short-acting SSRI, for the on-demand treatment of PE.
• To assess dapoxetine's impact on intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Five multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving over 6000 men with PE.
• Four studies specifically measured IELT as a primary endpoint.
• Dapoxetine was administered as needed (prn) at 30 mg and 60 mg doses.

Main Results:

• Dapoxetine (30 and 60 mg prn) significantly increased IELT compared to placebo in four trials.
• Statistically significant improvements were observed in perceived ejaculatory control and PE-related personal distress.
• The treatment demonstrated good tolerability with low rates of discontinuation syndrome and sexual dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Dapoxetine is an effective on-demand oral treatment for PE, offering significant improvements in IELT and patient-reported outcomes.
• The drug is generally well-tolerated, with manageable adverse events such as nausea and dizziness.
• Dapoxetine provides a valuable therapeutic option for men experiencing premature ejaculation.