New hope for impotent men

VITAL SIGNS

A drug delivered directly into the urethra may help impotent men, says a report in Doctor. The drug, called alprostadil, is dispensed through a tiny plunger inserted into the urethral opening.

It is absorbed through the mucous membranes, allowing the relaxation of muscle and dilation of blood vessels.

A trial involving more than 200 men who had not had an erection for four years on average found erection began five to ten minutes after insertion of the drug and lasted 30 to 60 minutes. More than 70 per cent succeeded in having intercourse compared to only 12 per cent of a control group.