{"id":20047,"date":"2018-06-30T08:00:36","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T15:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=20047"},"modified":"2018-06-30T08:00:36","modified_gmt":"2018-06-30T15:00:36","slug":"gene-therapy-may-help-with-ed-that-doesnt-respond-to-viagra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/viagra\/gene-therapy-may-help-with-ed-that-doesnt-respond-to-viagra\/","title":{"rendered":"Gene Therapy May Help with ED That Doesn’t Respond to Viagra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"DNA
Gene therapy someday may offer treatments for a wide array of diseases and disorders.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As revolutionary a medication as it\u2019s been, Viagra does not work for all men suffering from erectile dysfunction caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis. For reasons that are not really clear, some men with ED simply don\u2019t respond well to the little blue pill. Now under study, a cutting-edge gene therapy someday may offer ED relief to men when Viagra and other oral ED drugs don\u2019t get the job done.<\/p>\n

A form of gene transfer technology, Maxi-K gene therapy has been the subject of two preliminary studies, results from which were presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in May 2018. While the gene therapy is not yet ready for prime time, Arnold Melman, M.D. who led one of the studies, told the AUA meeting that a product could be on the market within two years.<\/p>\n

Results Lasted Up to 6 Months<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Melman-led research, a phase I study designed primarily to explore the safety of the gene transfer treatment, 11 men with ED were treated with varying doses of the gene. It was injected into the spongy cavernosal tissue inside the shaft of the penis. The study found that participants responded best to the highest of the doses, which restored them to near-normal erectile function for up to six months, according to Melman. Side effects from the therapy were mild and tended to disappear relatively quickly.<\/p>\n

Addressing attendees at the AUA meeting via a teleconference, Melman said the 11 study participants \u201chad normal sexual function for six months and then went back to the way they were.\u201d Based on those findings, he said, two injections a year would probably be sufficient to restore most impotent men to normal erectile function.<\/p>\n

Could Gene Transfer Be the Answer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Melman pointed out that up to 40 percent of men who suffer from blood flow-related ED don\u2019t respond well to Viagra and the other oral ED drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors. For them, gene transfer therapy could supply the answer, he said.<\/p>\n

If continuing clinical studies further confirm both the safety and efficacy of the gene transfer therapy, Melman said he expected this new form of therapy would be well-accepted by both patients and doctors. He pointed to a recent survey indicating that roughly half of the urologists responding said they would strongly consider switching their patients from current drug therapies to the gene transfer treatment.<\/p>\n

Animal Study Also Promising<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also presented at the annual AUA meeting were the results of an animal study into the viability of the gene transfer technology. In that study, four male monkeys were fed a high-fat diet, which led to a significant decline in their sex drive. Injected with the Maxi-K gene, the monkeys\u2019 partial and full erections increased roughly fivefold; their interactions with female monkeys were noticeably friskier.<\/p>\n

Despite its obvious promise, gene transfer therapy is still at least a couple of years from becoming a viable treatment for ED patients. And if it comes to market, its cost is likely to be higher than current treatment. In the meantime, the treatment of choice for most ED patients remains Viagra and the other PDE5 inhibitors.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to know more about the convenience of ordering Viagra and other oral ED drugs online, visit eDrugstore.com\u2019s Erectile Dysfunction page<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n

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As revolutionary a medication as it\u2019s been, Viagra does not work for all men suffering from erectile dysfunction caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis. For reasons that are not really clear, some men with ED simply don\u2019t respond well to the little blue pill. Now under study, a cutting-edge gene therapy someday may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,17],"tags":[22,184],"class_list":["post-20047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-erectile-dysfunction","category-viagra","tag-ed","tag-viagra"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t