Dapoxetine

Description: Dapoxetine, marketed as Priligy (among and other brands), is the first compound developed specially for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) in men 1864 years old. Dapoxetine works by inhibiting the serotonin transporter, increasing serotonin's action at the post synaptic cleft, and as a consequence promoting ejaculatory delay.

As a member of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) family, dapoxetine was initially created as an antidepressant. However, unlike other SSRIs, dapoxetine is absorbed and eliminated rapidly in the body. Its fast acting property makes it suitable for the treatment of PE but not as an antidepressant.

Application: Due to the lack of specific approval treatment for PE in the US and some other countries, other SSRIs such as Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Fluvoxamine, and Citalopram have been used as clinical drugs to treat PE.

Waldinger’s meta analysis shows that the use of these conventional antidepressants increasing IELT about 2-9 time in comparison of three to eight times when Dapoxetine is used.

However, these SSRIs must be taken daily in order to achieve meaningful efficacy, and the long half-life increases the risk of the drug accumulation and as a consequence, an increasing adverse effects such as decreasing sexual libido and causing erectile dysfunction. Dapoxetine, on the other hand, is a fast-acting SSRI.

It is rapidly absorbed and eliminated from the body within a few hours.