Review of intraurethral suppositories and iontophoresis therapy for erectile dysfunction

This brief review examines the history of the intraurethral (IU) pharmacotherapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Emphasis is placed on the design, study endpoints and results of a limited number of clinical trials undertaken with PGE₁-MUSE to demonstrate the efficacy of this unique delivery system. Next, the theory of the iontophoretic technique of drug delivery is discussed. Clinical data collected while applying these methods are presented, but are thus far limited to treatment of patients with Peyronie’s disease. Iontophoresis as a drug delivery alternative may gain popularity with ED patients who fail other types of therapy or in patients with other penile disorders.