Volume 97, Issue 2 p. 311-315

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of dapoxetine, a novel drug for ‘on-demand’ treatment of premature ejaculation

KARL-ERIK ANDERSSON

KARL-ERIK ANDERSSON

Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Lund University, Hospital, Lund, Sweden,

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JOHN P. MULHALL

JOHN P. MULHALL

Department of Urology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA,

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MICHAEL G. WYLLIE

Corresponding Author

MICHAEL G. WYLLIE

Urodoc Ltd, Herne, UK

Michael G. Wyllie, Urodoc Ltd, Maryland, Ridgeway Road, Herne, Kent CT6 7LN, UK.
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First published: 17 January 2006
Citations: 78

Abstract

Associate Editor

Michael G. Wyllie

Editorial Board

Ian Eardley, UK

Jean Fourcroy, USA

Sidney Glina, Brazil

Julia Heiman, USA

Chris McMahon, Australia

Bob Millar, UK

Alvaro Morales, Canada

Michael Perelman, USA

Marcel Waldinger, Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

To describe the relationship between the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of dapoxetine, a drug specifically developed for treating premature ejaculation (PE).

METHODS

Data from various stages of the clinical development programme were analysed using validated methods for assessing ejaculatory latency. The clinical characteristics were then compared with the pharmacokinetic profile, determined from measured plasma drug concentrations.

RESULTS

Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic measurements confirm that ‘on demand’ dapoxetine has a rapid onset of action and is rapidly cleared after sexual intercourse.

CONCLUSION

Dapoxetine may represent the first of a new category of selective serotonin transport inhibitors. Although dapoxetine has pharmacological similarities to other selective serotonin transport inhibitors, its efficacy after acute administration sets it apart and suggests a different mode of action. Its physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and its clinical efficacy make dapoxetine suitable for on-demand treatment of PE.