Comparison of pharmacokinetic characteristics of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets and film-coated tablets in healthy male subjects

UI14SDF100CW is a chewable tablet of sildenafil citrate, which was developed to improve compliance through convenience of administration. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets (UI14SDF100CW) and conventional sildenafil citrate film-coated tablets (Viagra®, Pfizer). A randomized, open-label, single dose, two-treatment, two-period, two-way crossover study was conducted in 60 healthy male volunteers. In each period, the subjects received a single oral dose of UI14SDF100CW or Viagra® (both tablets contain 140.45 mg of sildenafil citrate, which is equivalent to 100 mg of sildenafil). Serial blood samples were collected up to 24 h post-dose for PK analysis. The plasma concentration of sildenafil was determined using a validated HPLC-MS/MS assay. PK parameters of sildenafil were calculated using non-compartmental methods. The plasma concentration-time profiles of sildenafil in both formulations were similar. For UI14SDF100CW, the C_max and AUC_last of sildenafil were 1068.69 ± 458.25 (mean ± standard deviation) mg/L and 3580.59 ± 1680.29 h·mg/L, and the corresponding values for Viagra® were 1146.84 ± 501.70 mg/L and 3406.35 ± 1452.31 h·/L, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) of UI14SDF100CW to Viagra® for C_max and AUClast were 0.933 (0.853–1.021) and 1.034 (0.969–1.108), respectively, which met the bioequivalence criteria of Korean regulatory agency. In conclusion, UI14SDF100CW and Viagra® showed similar PK properties. Therefore, UI14SDF100CW can be an alternative to sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, providing better compliance.

How Serious Is Erectile Dysfunction in Men's Lives? Comparative Data From Korean Adults

Purpose

Whereas sexual function has long been assumed to be an important component of adult men's lives, the impact of sexual dysfunction has not been estimated in parallel to other modern disease entities. We compared the seriousness of erectile dysfunction (ED) with that of other diseases by use of self-administered questionnaires.

Materials and Methods

Between January 2012 and July 2012, 434 healthy male volunteers (group 1) and 263 ED patients (group 2) were enrolled. The questionnaire consisted of the following: "If you must undergo only one disease in all your life, which disease could you select among these items or ED?" The comparative disease entities included hypertension, diabetes mellitus (oral hypoglycemic agent/insulin injection), hemodialysis, myocardial infarction, herpes zoster, chronic sinusitis, chronic otitis media, gastric cancer (early/late), lung cancer (early/late), liver cancer (early/late), and dementia.

Results

Group 1 recognized ED as being a more serious disease than hypertension, diabetes mellitus (oral hypoglycemic agent), herpes zoster, chronic sinusitis, and chronic otitis media. In comparison, group 2 recognized ED as being a more serious condition than diabetes mellitus (insulin injection) and dementia (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). In particular, ED was deemed to be more serious than hemodialysis, gastric cancer (early), lung cancer (early), and liver cancer (early) by men in group 2 in their 30s to 40s, and these results were statistically significant compared with the same age subgroups in group 1 (p<0.001, p<0.007, p<0.02, and p<0.007, respectively).

Conclusions

In contrast with their healthy counterparts, Korean men with ED recognized ED as being as serious as hemodialysis, dementia, and early stage cancer, which reflects the severe bother of ED in Korean patients.

Relationship between ED and depression among middle-aged and elderly men in Korea: Hallym aging study

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ED and depression. The survey was conducted among persons enrolled in panel study about Quality of Life of Korean Elderly Project at the Institute for Aging studies. Subjects were 203 men aged 45-74 years (mean age 65.5 years). ED was assessed by International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5) score (Korean version), and depression was assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, Korean version). The baseline questionnaires included demographic and health history information. The age-adjusted prevalence of current depression by GDS (≥18), of ED by IIEF-5 score (<18), and of concomitant ED and depression were 12.2%, 28.2% and 11.0%, respectively. GDS increased according to severity of ED, adjusted for age, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, regular exercise, total cholesterol level, fasting blood sugar, body mass index (P<0.001, by analysis of covariance). ED was strongly associated with depression symptoms after controlling for potential confounding factors using logistic regression. Compared with GDS <8, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for 12-17 GDS and 18 or more GDS were 3.38 (1.30-8.77) and 6.56 (2.18-19.81), respectively. ED is significantly associated with highly depressive symptoms, regardless of age, health habit or concomitant comorbidity. Our results demonstrate that multidisciplinary approaches are important for the successful treatment of ED.