Available and future therapies for premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE), the most common male sexual dysfunction, impacts the quality of life of not only the affected male but also his partner. Despite its prevalence, there are currently no United States Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies for PE. In 2004, the American Urological Association published treatment guidelines for PE that recommended the serotonergic antidepressants paroxetine, sertraline, clomipramine and fluoxetine, as well as topical lidocaine-prilocaine cream. None of these treatments were developed for PE, and all have limitations associated with their use. Therapies in development may have advantages over the currently available treatments. These include PSD-502, a metered-dose aerosol of lidocaine and prilocaine used as an on-demand local treatment, and dapoxetine, an on-demand short-acting selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Together with a recent, evidence-based definition of PE, these novel therapies should improve sexual function and quality of life in men suffering from PE.