Premature ejaculation: focus on therapeutic targets.
BACKGROUND
Premature ejaculation (PE) is poorly defined but the most common male sexual complaint. It can be treated with strategies including oral pharmacotherapy, topical anaesthetics, behavioural therapy and surgery. Although PE is treatable in most, but not all, patients by currently available modalities, long term success rates have been disappointing. An approved treatment so far does not exist.


OBJECTIVE
To review literature on the current and potential therapeutic targets for PE.


METHODS
Available English-language published literature is reviewed.


CONCLUSIONS
There are many targets for future therapeutic approaches to PE that may address the shortcomings of existing therapy. Selecting the best targets depends heavily on their playing a prominent role in PE. Exploiting the full therapeutic potential of these targets will require additional basic and clinical research.
Abdel-Hamid
Ibrahim A
IA
Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Sexual Medicine Unit, Department of Andrology, Mansoura, PO Box 35516, Egypt. ibrahamid2007@yahoo.com
Jannini
Emmanuele A
EA
Andersson
Karl-Erik
KE
D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome