Pharmacotherapy of erectile dysfunction

Summary Pharmacotherapy of erectile dysfunction comprises oral and local application of drugs. Today, Yohimbin is the only drug listed for this indication. Yohimbin acts via central alpha-receptor blockade and showed a significant effect in a recent double blind study compared to placebo. The centrally acting substances Apomorphin and Trazodone were also tested for their potential use with Apomorphin showing promising results. The orally active phosphodiesterase-V inhibitor Sildenafil acts predominantly on the peripheral side; broad clinical studies demonstrated a significant effect of the drugs compared to placebo. For local use, intraurethral (MUSE) and intracavernous applications are available with PGE1 being the drug the most widely used for the moment. Since many different drugs with various modes of action and different modes of application are being developped at the moment, future pharmacological treatments will allow a more refined approach towards an individually adapted regimen.