Prostaglandins as a Topical Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a substantial cause of dissatisfaction among many men. This discontentment has led to the emergence of various drug treatment options for this problem.

Unfortunately, due to various interactions, contraindications, and side effects, systemic therapies such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (including sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil, etc.) are not welcomed in many patients. These problems have led researchers to look for other ways to reduce these complications.

This article holistically reviews the efficacy of topical prostaglandins and their role in treating ED. We sought to provide a comprehensive overview of recent findings on the current topic by using the extensive literature search to identify the latest scientific reports on the topic.

In this regard, topical and transdermal treatments can be suitable alternatives. In diverse studies, prostaglandins, remarkably PGE1 (also known as alprostadil), have been suggested to be an acceptable candidate for topical treatment.

Numerous formulations of PGE1 have been used to treat patients so far. Still, in general, with the evolution of classical formulation methods toward modern techniques (such as using nanocarriers and skin permeability enhancers), the probability of treatment success also increases. Hamzehnejadi M, Tavakoli MR, Homayoun F et al. Prostaglandins as a Topical Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review. Sex Med Rev 2022;10:764-781.