The drug treatment of delayed ejaculation

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pharmacology
• Sexual Medicine

Background:

• Delayed ejaculation (DE) is an uncommon but distressing condition impacting patients' psychosocial well-being.
• Effective pharmacological treatments for DE remain a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pharmacological treatments available for delayed ejaculation.
• To highlight potential drug therapies and their current evidence base for clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases (PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, etc.) from 1966 to February 2016.
• Keywords included "delayed ejaculation" combined with various drug names (e.g., testosterone, bupropion, oxytocin).

Main Results:

• Numerous drugs show potential for treating DE, including testosterone, cabergoline, bupropion, and others.
• Evidence supporting these treatments is largely derived from small trials, case series, or case reports.
• Level 1 evidence (double-blind randomized clinical trials) exists for testosterone, oxytocin, buspirone, and bethanechol.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacological treatment for DE is still in its early stages, with limited robust evidence for most agents.
• Clinicians require a thorough understanding of DE pathogenesis and drug mechanisms to individualize treatment.
• Further research is needed to establish effective and evidence-based pharmacological strategies for delayed ejaculation.