Clinical trial NCT00556478
Conditions: Premature Ejaculation
Keywords: Premature Ejaculation Lidocaine Prilocaine EMLA® cream topical anesthetics
Sponsor: Plethora Solutions Ltd
Start date: 2007-10-01; Completion date: 2009-10-01
Enrollment: 256 participants; Allocation: RANDOMIZED; Intervention model: PARALLEL

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of the investigational drug, PSD502 in subjects with premature ejaculation (PE) The study drug, PSD02, is a metered dose (measured dose), topical (applied to the skin surface) anesthetic (numbing) spray containing a mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine. The study drug will be applied in a spray to the penis prior to intercourse in order to decrease sensitivity in an attempt to delay ejaculation.

Detailed description:
Most studies evaluating treatments PE include intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) in the definition of PE. It has been estimated that PE affects 30-40% of the male population, but is paradoxically a condition for which they are least likely to seek help.

Men with PE exhibit abnormal autonomic reflex pathways for the ejaculatory process. These include lower vibratory threshold to ejaculation, shorter bulbocavernous latency time and higher bulbocavernous evoked potentials. Reducing the heightened sensitivity of the glans penis with topical anesthetics might therefore be a way of improving IELT, without adversely affecting the sensation of ejaculation.

Although IELT is an objective measure of ejaculatory function it does not address the impact of therapy on patients' well being and confidence in their sexual performance, which are important markers of treatment benefit. Therefore, if IELT is used as a sole efficacy measure it may not fully characterise the treatment benefit to the patient. For this reason, a patient reported outcome (PRO) known as the Index of Premature Ejaculation (IPE) will be used in this study in conjunction with IELT to evaluate efficacy. Thus the combination of the objective measure of ejaculatory latency with the PRO of IPE should be able to provide efficacy data which are representative of clinical benefit to the patient.

The use of lidocaine, prilocaine and EMLA® cream as topical anesthetics is well established. Many years of experience of use in large numbers of patients, as well as comprehensive non-clinical safety testing programs for various formulations of lidocaine and prilocaine exist, to support their safety and tolerability. This information, together with the clinical data from 3 studies with PSD502 (ANAE-059-00, PSD502-PE-001, and PSD502-PE-003), suggest that PSD502 may have beneficial effects in reducing penile sensation and prolonging IELT, and its use is unlikely to be associated with significant clinical safety or tolerability concerns.

The aim of this study is to provide additional placebo-controlled efficacy data to establish the clinical utility of PSD502 in the treatment of PE. In addition, long term open-label efficacy and safety data will be collected, to further support the registration package for PSD502 in the indication of treatment of PE.

Arms: arm 1: Double-blind Phase: Subjects will be randomised to PSD502 respectively if the patient meets all the entry criteria. arm 2: Double-blind Phase: Subjects will be randomised to Placebo respectively if the patient meets all the entry criteria. arm 3: Subjects will all receive PSD502 if they wish to continue in the trial.
Interventions: intervention 1: PSD502, contains a mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: PSD502 spray contains a mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine with Norflurane (HFA-134a) is used as both propellant and solvent. A single dose consists of 3 sprays applied to the glans penis.

Approximately 5 minutes before intercourse the study spray can be applied and any excess should be wiped off with a damp cloth or tissue.

During the initial 3 months double-blind phase of the study subjects should leave at least 24 hours between each dosing

During the subsequent 5 months open label Phase of the study subjects may use the spray for up to a maximum of 3 sexual encounters (intercourse) in a 24 hour period. Each sexual encounter (intercourse) when the spray is used must be separated by at least 4 hour period. intervention 2: The placebo is a metered dose aerosol spray that is identical in appearance to the active treatment and contains the same propellant (norflurane) but has no lidocaine or prilocaine.

Approximately 5 minutes before intercourse the study spray can be applied and any excess should be wiped off with a damp cloth or tissue.

During the initial 3 months double-blind phase of the study subjects should leave at least 24 hours between each dosing.

During the subsequent 5 months open label Phase of the study subjects may use the spray for up to a maximum of 3 sexual encounters (intercourse) in a 24 hour period. Each sexual encounter (intercourse) when the spray is used must be separated by at least 4 hour period.

Protocol documents: