Article in the the Times - March 20. Saturday2 May 2021 20:38
Erectile trial placebo looks the real deal Tom Howard.
A junior drugmaker received a boost as its over-the-counter erectile dysfunction gel took a step towards gaining approval from European regulators.
Shares in Futura Medical rose 28p, or 155.6 per cent, to 46p after its Med3000 treatment was given the initial thumbsup by EU officials.
Analysts at Liberum, Futura’s housebroker, said that approval was now a formality and the company expects confirmation before the end of May. Med3000 was originally the placebo used in a clinical trial of another of Futura’s erectile dysfunction gels, which scientists had been working on for more than a decade. That gel failed in the study, whereas the dummy
treatment, Med3000, yielded “statistically significant and clinically meaningful” improvements. Futura decided to focus its efforts on the placebo gel instead. At the time, shortly before Christmas 2019, James Barder, chief executive, admitted that he and his team “did not entirely know” why the dummy had the effect that it did. Typically placebos have no medical benefit.
In this trial Med3000 did not contain any of the active ingredient, glyceryl trinitrate, but both treatments used Futura’s Derma Sys technology, which bosses had thought simply helped the skin to absorb gels and creams. Futura, which is listed on Aim, believes that Med3000 will be the first topical treatment for erectile dysfunction available in Europe that does not
require a prescription. The company said it was in talks with “a number of parties” about licensing its technology.
Erectile dysfunction is estimated to affect one in five men and the global treatment market is worth $5.6 billion.
The market is dominated by pills such as Viagra and Cialis, which typically take about 30 minutes to work. Most patients using Futura’s gel felt its effect within ten minutes.
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