Spray-on anesthetic helps delay ejaculation.

Moral of the story: One of those awkward doorknob questions just got a better answer.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 11/20/09

Bloomberg News (11/20, Matsuyama) reports, "A spray-on treatment for premature ejaculation may prolong sexual intercourse by as much as five times." In fact, the drug, known as PSD502, "delayed orgasm by an average of 108 seconds" after one month of treatment, according to a 256-patient trial conducted in Canada, Poland, and the US.

The work may benefit the estimated "one in three US men ages 18 to 59" who have dealt with the problem at one time or another, according to the Los Angeles Times (11/19, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog. That's "about twice as many as those who suffer from erectile dysfunction." Indeed, "some antidepressant-like drugs, such as dapoxetine, have been approved in a few countries to treat the condition, but the Food and Drug Administration rejected it because of long-term side effects." And while "some physicians prescribe anesthetic creams like EMLA cream...off-label," they "require 45 minutes to work."

Now, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco may have stumbled upon a solution. According to WebMD (11/19, DeNoon), the spray "contains the anesthetics lidocaine and prilocaine," but it "doesn't deaden feeling, thanks to an ingredient in the spray that allows it to rapidly penetrate the skin." What's more, it "seems safe for men's female sex partners," as "only about 0.5% of female partners report decreased feeling in the vagina."

In light of those findings, HealthDay (11/19, Preidt) pointed out, "Sciele Pharma plans to seek US Food and Drug Administration approval of the spray." Reuters (11/20), the UK's Telegraph (11/19), and the UK's Press Association (11/19) also covered the story.