Prilocaine/lidocaine spray safe, effective in men with premature ejaculation

The eutectic-like mixture of prilocaine/lidocaine spray appears to work well in the treatment of men with various types of premature ejaculation (PE), as reflected by a high treatment adherence, according to data from a real-world study.

The study included 198 White European men (mean age 37 years) who had been consecutively and prospectively seen at a single tertiary-referral andrology centre for self-reported PE. All patients had not been exposed to previous PE treatments.

Of the patients, 101 had lifelong PE (51 percent), 59 had acquired PE (29.8 percent), and 38 had subjective PE (19.2 percent). At the 1-month follow-up, 102 (51.5 percent) men had bought the spray and 59 (29.8 percent) had actually used it.

The use of the drug rose at 6 months, with 184 (92.9 percent) and 128 (66.4 percent) men having tried and regularly used the spray, respectively. At 12 months, 53 (26.8 percent) men reported regular use of the drug.

In terms of efficacy, Mean Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool score markedly decreased at 6 and 12 months relative to baseline (p<0.05). Meanwhile, mean intravaginal ejaculatory latency time significantly improved at the 6-month follow-up (p≤0.04).

Fourteen (11 percent) men developed treatment-related side effects, including genital burning sensation (n=9), bothersome local hypoesthesia (n=5), and erectile dysfunction (n=3) during the study period. Nevertheless, none of the patients discontinued treatment due to these side effects.

The findings suggest that the spray represents a safe and effective treatment option in patients with PE of various types. Furthermore, the timing and dosing of the drug can be adjusted according to patient’s needs and sexual ecology.