New therapies and delivery mechanisms for treatment of erectile dysfunction

Despite the successes of ViagraTM, the quest for new and better therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) continues. In a recent survey of the first 220 patients placed on ViagraTM at our institution, 101 (46%) quit taking the drug: 76% of those who quit were not satisfied with the results. Patients clearly want an efficacious, safe, convenient medication with rapid onset. To meet these consumer demands, numerous new therapies are being developed. These include new oral medications, new intracavernosal pharmacotherapies, new delivery systems (such as novel intracorporal injectors and transdermal agents) and combination therapies. What is known about these new medications and delivery systems will be presented. Hopefully, from these innovations will come therapies that will improve the overall success and acceptance of treatment for ED. Since it is unlikely that any single agent will ever provide a solution for all men with ED, an expanded armamentarium of treatment options will greatly enhance the chances that any given man will be able to find a therapy that is both acceptable and appropriate to him.