June 13, 2023 – A topical gel that may work faster than erectile dysfunction pills has been approved for over-the-counter use in the United States. The gel, which can help users get an erection within 10 minutes, is already available without a prescription in Europe.
The FDA approved the drug, called Eroxon, on Friday, noting that it is a first-of-its-kind treatment. Eroxon is made by the British pharmaceutical company Futura Medical, which specializes in drugs that are given through the skin.
According to the product’s leaflet, Eroxon “stimulates blood flow in the penis through a unique physical cooling then warming effect, helping you get and keep an erection hard enough for sex.” The company said on the product’s website that 65% of people who used the drug were able to have sex.
A company spokesperson told CNN that the price of the product has not been set in the U.S., but it costs the equivalent of about $31 in the United Kingdom. Futura Medical has not announced when it will be available in the U.S.
Harvard Health reports that 30 million people in the U.S. have erectile dysfunction, which means a person cannot get an erection at all or one firm enough to have sex. The disorder is often linked to other physical or mental health problems, such as heart problems or clogged arteries.
Erectile dysfunction affects 1% of men in their 40s, 17% of men in their 60s, and nearly 50% of men who are age 75 or older, according to Harvard Health.
