Inhaler could combat impotence in ten minutes

The new device resembles an asthma inhaler and could prove popular with men affected by erectile dysfunction.

An inhaler that can help a man get an erection in just ten minutes could be a new treatment for impotence.

The inhaler contains a powdered form of a drug called apomorphine, which works by stimulating chemical receptors in the brain.

Although it is still undergoing trials, the new device - which resembles an asthma inhaler - could prove popular with men affected by erectile dysfunction if tests prove successful.

Drugs such as Viagra and similar medications, including Cialis and Levitra, have transformed treatment of impotence in the past ten years.

But around 30 per cent of men who take them see little or no improvement in their condition.

For these men, the only other options are to inject drugs straight into the penis, or use a pump that manually increases blood supply to the organ. Neither is very popular.

Even among men who respond to Viagra and other impotence drugs, it can take at least 40 minutes before they are ready to make love.

It's estimated that half of all men over 40 suffer impotence problems from time to time.

Potential-causes range from diabetes and hormonal deficiencies to stress and depression.

Apomorphine was developed to treat Parkinson's disease.  But researchers noticed it had an ability to boost a man's desire.

A recent study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed the majority of the 600 men using an inhaler of the powdered drug could get an erection within ten minutes.

Vectura Ltd, the Wiltshire-based firm developing the inhaler, hopes it will one day rival Viagra as a first-line treatment for impotent men.