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Dapoxetine, a drug belonging to the group called SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors has shown acceptable results in the phase 3 clinical trails for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Earlier studies regarding premature ejaculation had found that perceived control over ejaculation, interpersonal difficulty and personal distress related to ejaculation were integral components of premature ejaculation.  Currently, dapoxetine is approved for use for premature ejaculation in Finland and Sweden.

In a double blinded randomized placebo controlled trail conducted in 91 centers in USA and Canada, 1238 men who met the criteria for premature ejaculation were randomly assigned to placebo group and dapoxetine group. At the end of the trail, 54.3% of the individuals assigned to the dapoxetine group reported that they didn’t feel any personal distress related to ejaculation compared to 35.3% in the placebo group. Another independent study had shown that dapoxetine significantly increased intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT). The most common adverse effects reported in the study include nausea, dizziness, headache, diarrhea and insomnia.

To date no specific drug is approved for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Other studies have shown beneficial effects of clomipramine. A study involving clomipramine reported reduction in the patient reported measures of guilt, embarrassment, anger, annoyance and a significant improvement in happiness with the relationship. The authors conclude that dapoxetine is well tolerated and found to improve all variables associated with premature ejaculation including reduction of personal distress, interpersonal difficulty and improvement in the satisfaction with the sexual intercourse and perceived control over ejaculation.

 Source: British Journal of Urology March 2009

For more information visit the 'British Journal of Urology' website http://www.bjui.org/