SCIENTISTS are developing a cream that promises to act faster than Viagra - and without the side effects.
The lotion is said to produce almost instant results, unlike anti-impotence tablets which can take 30 minutes to an hour before taking effect.
Erectile dysfunction affects about one in five men in Australia, with 70 per cent of the cases having physical causes and the remaining 30 per cent attributed to psychological factors.
The secret of Viagra, and other drugs in the same class, is that they allow blood to flow more freely by helping arteries to relax. They do this by blocking the effects of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5.
But these so-called phosphodiesterase inhibitors are known to cause side effects ranging from headaches to vision problems and more serious complications.
Men who have previously suffered a stroke or a heart attack are warned to take the medication with caution.
And the drugs are not always effective, with one in three men reporting that they do not work.
Now a team of researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, New York, believe they have the answer.
They have developed a way to deliver the drugs straight to the affected area with nanoparticles, naked to the human eye, contained in a lotion.
In tests, performed on rats, the new delivery method has proven successful in nine out of 10 cases.
However, scientists believe it will take 10 years before the drug is available on the market.
Kelvin Davies, co-author of the study published in the journal Sexual Health, said: "The response time to the nanoparticles was very short, just a few minutes, which is basically what people want from erectile dysfunction medicine."
source: www.news.com.au
SCIENTISTS are developing a cream that promises to act faster than Viagra - and without the side effects.
