|
May 08, 2009
|
|
| Shooting blanks may become a thing of the past for Korea’s men as the world’s first oral prescription drug for premature ejaculation could soon become available here. Janssen Korea announced yesterday it has filed for approval to sell Priligy, or dapoxetine. Following authorization from the Korea Food and Drug Administration, Priligy could be available by prescription in Korea by the second half of this year. Currently, it’s available in only Finland, Sweden, Austria, Portugal and Germany. It has not been approved in the United States. The drug was created by Eli Lilly and Co., a U.S. global pharmaceutical firm. Eli Lilly sold the patent to Johnson & Johnson in 2003. Priligy has proven effective in treating premature ejaculation in clinical tests worldwide. According to trial conducted by Korean hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, ejaculation time increased from an average of 62 seconds to four minutes for 30 milligrams of Priligy, and to 4.5 minutes for 60 milligrams. Those taking a placebo saw their time jump to 2.8 minutes. Side effects included drowsiness, insomnia and nausea. Moon Hong-sang, a professor of urology at Hanyang University, said a drug for premature ejaculation “is essentially a treatment for depression,” since the condition is associated with stress and anxiety. “It won’t improve erectile dysfunction,” Moon said. Although there is no standard to define the time of premature ejaculation, the third International Consultation on Sexual Medicine will likely set it at one minute. By Park Tae-kyun [jeeho@joongang.co.kr] |
|
