Zonagen Reports Further Vasomax Data

After a lackluster response to its first Phase III data last month(Marketletters June 2 and 9), Zonagen has announced the results of a second Phase II trial of Vasomax (phentolamine), its oral treatment for male erectile dysfunction. Expanded data on sexual intercourse rates and side effects from the first study have also been announced.

The new trial involved 293 men and tested 40mg Vasomax against placebo, and the results were consistent with the first study. Vasomax was associated with a statistically-significant improvement over placebo, with 34% of the men in the study responding compared to 21% with placebo (p<0.01).

This data comes from an in-office portion of the study, in which men were assessed for participation in the study by checking heart rate and blood pressure changes after dosing prior to exposing them to at-home use of the drug. During this period, 4.3% of the men reported adverse events, most commonly nasal congestion. The at-home portion of this trial is still being evaluated.