Premature ejaculation: focus on therapeutic targets

BACKGROUND: Premature ejaculation (PE) is poorly defined but the most common male sexual complaint. It can be treated with strategies including oral pharmacotherapy, topical anaesthetics, behavioural therapy and surgery. Although PE is treatable in most, but not all, patients by currently available modalities, long term success rates have been disappointing. An approved treatment so far does not exist. OBJECTIVE: To review literature on the current and potential therapeutic targets for PE. METHODS: Available English-language published literature is reviewed. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: There are many targets for future therapeutic approaches to PE that may address the shortcomings of existing therapy. Selecting the best targets depends heavily on their playing a prominent role in PE. Exploiting the full therapeutic potential of these targets will require additional basic and clinical research.