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In a trial, patients with moderate to severely advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were treated with nintedanib plus sildenafil or nintedanib alone, with the goal of decreasing IPF symptoms. There were no between-group differences in any of three symptom measures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single escalating oral doses of DDCI-01 (a novel, highly selective, long-acting phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor) administered via capsules to healthy volunteers. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dosing, Phase Ia clinical study involved 52 healthy volunteers who were randomized (3:1 ratio) to receive a single oral dose of DDCI-01 (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 60 mg) or a placebo. Adverse events and pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated after 14 days post-administration. Within the studied dose range, DDCI-01 was safe and tolerable. Mild adverse events incidence was > 10% in all 39 volunteers receiving DDCI-01: myalgia (eight cases, 20.51%) and spontaneous penile erection (four cases, 10.26%). Drug exposure (C , AUC , and AUC ) increased with increasing dosage; however, no linear correlation was observed between drug exposure and dosage. The drug exposure increase was less than the expected dose-proportional increase. Terminal half-life of DDCI-01 ranged between 35.5 and 40.6 hours, whereas the values of apparent clearance (CL/F) and apparent volume (V /F) were in the range of 1.1-3.0 L/h and 59-175 L, respectively. Both CL/F and V /F increased with increasing doses of DDCI-01. DDCI-01 demonstrated favorable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles within the dose range. The findings of this first-in-human study support further research for the indications of DDCI-01, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Chinese Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) registry number CTR20201564. The date of registration: August 3, 2020.

To investigate if a newly developed tadalafil oral soluble film (OSF) was bioequivalent to the approved tadalafil tablets, a clinical study was conducted in healthy Chinese male volunteers under fasting conditions. In this study, 36 volunteers were randomized into three groups and received one tadalafil tablet, one tadalafil OSF with water, or one OSF without water in each period. The dosages were all 10 mg. Blood samples were collected and centrifuged. Plasma concentrations of tadalafil were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters including maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) from dosing to the last sampling time (AUC0–t), AUC from administration to infinity (AUC0–∞), time to Cmax, half‐life and terminal elimination rate constant were calculated. Primary PK parameters including Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞ were logarithmically transformed and an analysis of variance was applied to determine the bioequivalence between the reference and test formulation, as well as bioequivalence between tadalafil OSF administered with or without water. Safety was assessed by adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs) and results of laboratory tests and examinations. The 90% confidence intervals of geometric mean ratios of primary PK parameters were all within the bioequivalence range of 80.00%–125.00%. AEs were mild or moderate and no SAEs were reported. Under fasting conditions, the test OSF formulation was bioequivalent to the reference tablets, and the test OSF administered with water was bioequivalent to that without water. All investigational formulations were well tolerated in the study. Trial Registration: chinadrugtrials.org.cn (CTR20181044). Study Highlights What is the current knowledge on the topic? ○Tadalafil is a widely used phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Tadalafil was approved mainly as tablets. OSFs are advanced dosage forms easier to administer than tablets. A novel tadalafil OSF was developed to better meet clinical use. What question did this study address? ○This study evaluated the bioequivalence between the novel tadalafil OSF and marketed tadalafil tablets (Cialis) and the bioequivalence between the tadalafil OSF administered with or without water under fasting conditions. What does this study add to our knowledge? ○The tadalafil OSF is bioequivalent to the approved tadalafil tablets (Cialis) under fasting conditions. Bioequivalence was also concluded between tadalafil OSF administered with or without water. Both tadalafil formulations were safe and well tolerated in this study. How might this change clinical pharmacology or translational science? ○The newly developed tadalafil OSF provides ED patients, especially those with difficulty swallowing, with more treatment options.

Background Erectile dysfunction (ED) is characterized by a persistent inability to achieve and maintain sufficient penile erection for satisfactory sexual performance persisting for at least six months. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a noninvasive therapy, has shown potential in improving ED by promoting the regeneration of connective tissue, blood vessels, and cavernous nerves, as well as reducing inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and histological changes in the corpus cavernosum of patients with ED treated with tadalafil combined with LIPUS through a randomized controlled trial. Methods This study will enroll 114 patients diagnosed with ED who will be randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio using simple random sampling. The treatment group will first receive 5 mg of tadalafil daily combined with twice-weekly LIPUS therapy for 4 weeks. Following a 4-week interval with daily 5 mg tadalafil alone (no LIPUS treatment), the same combined treatment regimen will be repeated. The control group will receive only 5 mg of tadalafil daily. The primary outcome will be assessed using the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) based on the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) at each follow-up visit. Additional assessments will include the Erection Hardness Score (EHS), penile blood flow parameters, and elasticity values for a comprehensive evaluation. Discussion The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of tadalafil combined with LIPUS for treating ED and to improve the evaluation of treatment response in erectile dysfunction by integrating blood flow parameters and two-dimensional shear wave elastography. Trial registration Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06543628. Registered 5th August 2024, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06543628 .

Understanding the dynamics of membrane protein–ligand interactions within a native lipid bilayer is a major goal for drug discovery. Typically, cell-based assays are used, however, they are often blind to the effects of protein modifications. In this study, using the archetypal G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin, we found that the receptor and its effectors can be released directly from retina rod disc membranes using infrared irradiation in a mass spectrometer. Subsequent isolation and dissociation by infrared multiphoton dissociation enabled the sequencing of individual retina proteoforms. Specifically, we categorized distinct proteoforms of rhodopsin, localized labile palmitoylations, discovered a Gβγ proteoform that abolishes membrane association and defined lipid modifications on G proteins that influence their assembly. Given reports of undesirable side-effects involving vision, we characterized the off-target drug binding of two phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, vardenafil and sildenafil, to the retina rod phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6). The results demonstrate differential off-target reactivity with PDE6 and an interaction preference for lipidated proteoforms of G proteins. In summary, this study highlights the opportunities for probing proteoform–ligand interactions within natural membrane environments. G protein-coupled receptors and their effectors can now be released directly from a lipid bilayer using infrared irradiation for proteoform-level characterization by native top-down mass spectrometry. This represents a critical development for drug discovery, as the direct role of post-translational modifications in protein–protein and protein–drug interactions can be characterized.

To characterize the obese heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) phenotype in a multicenter cohort. This was a secondary analysis of the randomized clinical trial RELAX (Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibition to Improve Clinical Status and Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction) performed between October 1, 2008, and February 1, 2012. Patients with HFpEF were classified by body mass index (BMI) as obese (BMI≥35 kg/m2) and nonobese (BMI<30 kg/m2) for comparison. Obese patients with HFpEF (n=81) were younger (median age, 64 [interquartile range (IQR), 67-79] years vs 73 [IQR, 56-70] years; P<.001) but had greater peripheral edema (31% [25] vs 9% [6]; P<.001), more orthopnea (76% [56] vs 53% [35]; P=.005), worse New York Heart Association class (P=.006), and more impaired quality of life (P<.001) as compared with nonobese patients with HFpEF (n=70). Despite more severe signs and symptoms, obese patients with HFpEF had lower N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide level (median, 481 [IQR, 176-1183] pg/mL vs 825 [IQR, 380-1679] pg/mL [to convert to pmol/L, multiply by 0.118]; P=.007) and lower left atrial volume index (median, 38 [IQR, 31-47] mL/m2 vs 54 [IQR, 41-63] mL/m2; P<.001). Serum C-reactive protein (median, 5.0 [IQR, 2.4-9.9] mg/dL vs 2.7 [IQR, 1.6-5.4] mg/dL [to convert to mg/L, multiply by 10−3]; P<.001) and uric acid (median, 7.8 [IQR, 6.1-8.7] mg/dL vs 6.8 [IQR, 5.5-8.3] mg/dL; P=.03) levels were higher in obese HFpEF, indicating greater systemic inflammation, than in nonobese HFpEF. Peak oxygen consumption was impaired in obese HFpEF (median, 11.1 [IQR, 9.6-14.4] mL/kg per minute vs 13.1 [IQR, 11.3-14.7] mL/kg per minute; P=.008), as was submaximal exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance, 272 [IQR, 200-332] m vs 355 [IQR, 290-415] m; P<.0001). Obese HFpEF is associated with decreased quality of life, worse symptoms of heart failure, greater systemic inflammation, worse exercise capacity, and higher metabolic cost of exertion as compared with nonobese HFpEF. Further study is required to understand the pathophysiology and potential distinct treatments for patients with the obese phenotype of HFpEF. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00763867

Severe early onset fetal growth restriction caused by placental dysfunction leads to high rates of perinatal mortality and neonatal morbidity. The phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, sildenafil, inhibits cyclic guanosine monophosphate hydrolysis, thereby activating the effects of nitric oxide, and might improve uteroplacental function and subsequent perinatal outcomes. To determine whether sildenafil reduces perinatal mortality or major morbidity. This placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted at 10 tertiary referral centers and 1 general hospital in the Netherlands from January 20, 2015, to July 16, 2018. Participants included pregnant women between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation with severe fetal growth restriction, defined as fetal abdominal circumference below the third percentile or estimated fetal weight below the fifth percentile combined with Dopplers measurements outside reference ranges or a maternal hypertensive disorder. The trial was stopped early owing to safety concerns on July 19, 2018, whereas benefit on the primary outcome was unlikely. Data were analyzed from January 20, 2015, to January 18, 2019. The prespecified primary analysis was an intention-to-treat analysis including all randomized participants. Participants were randomized to sildenafil, 25 mg, 3 times a day vs placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of perinatal mortality or major neonatal morbidity until hospital discharge. Out of 360 planned participants, a total of 216 pregnant women were included, with 108 women randomized to sildenafil (median gestational age at randomization, 24 weeks 5 days [interquartile range, 23 weeks 3 days to 25 weeks 5 days]; mean [SD] estimated fetal weight, 458 [160] g) and 108 women randomized to placebo (median gestational age, 25 weeks 0 days [interquartile range, 22 weeks 5 days to 26 weeks 3 days]; mean [SD] estimated fetal weight, 464 [186] g). In July 2018, the trial was halted owing to concerns that sildenafil may cause neonatal pulmonary hypertension, whereas benefit on the primary outcome was unlikely. The primary outcome, perinatal mortality or major neonatal morbidity, occurred in the offspring of 65 participants (60.2%) allocated to sildenafil vs 58 participants (54.2%) allocated to placebo (relative risk, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.88-1.40; P = .38). Pulmonary hypertension, a predefined outcome important for monitoring safety, occurred in 16 neonates (18.8%) in the sildenafil group vs 4 neonates (5.1%) in the placebo group (relative risk, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.28-10.51; P = .008). These findings suggest that antenatal maternal sildenafil administration for severe early onset fetal growth restriction did not reduce the risk of perinatal mortality or major neonatal morbidity. The results suggest that sildenafil may increase the risk of neonatal pulmonary hypertension. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02277132.

Abstract Context Erectile function is important for life satisfaction and often impaired in men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Uncontrolled studies show that treating OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves erectile function. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (e.g., vardenafil) are the first-line therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED), but may worsen OSA. Objective To assess the effects of CPAP and vardenafil on ED. Design Sixty-one men with moderate-to-severe OSA and ED were randomized to 12 weeks of CPAP or sham CPAP, and 10 mg daily vardenafil or placebo in a two-by-two factorial design. Main Outcome Measures International Index of Erectile Function (primary end point), treatment and relationship satisfaction, sleep-related erections, sexual function, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, quality of life, and sleep-disordered breathing. Results CPAP increased the frequency of sleep-related erections, overall sexual satisfaction, and arterial stiffness but did not change erectile function or treatment or relationship satisfaction. Vardenafil did not alter erectile function, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, or sleep-disordered breathing, but did improve overall self-esteem and relationship satisfaction, other aspects of sexual function, and treatment satisfaction. Adherent CPAP improved erectile function, sexual desire, overall sexual, self-esteem, relationship, and treatment satisfaction, as well as sleepiness, and quality of life. Adherent vardenafil use did not consistently change nocturnal erection quality. Conclusion CPAP improves overall sexual satisfaction, sleep-related erections, and arterial stiffness. Low-dose daily vardenafil improves certain aspects of sexual function and did not worsen OSA. Adherent CPAP or vardenafil use further improves ED and quality of life. This randomized controlled study investigating the effect of CPAP and a PDE-5 inhibitor on erectile function highlights the importance of identifying erectile dysfunction in patients with OSA.

Phosphodiesterase isoenzymes 5 inhibitors （PDE5-1s） are the first-line therapy for erectile dysfunction （ED）. The constant discoveries of nitric oxide （NO）/cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP） cell-signaling pathway for smooth muscle （SM） control in other urogenital tracts （UGTs） make PDE5-1s promising pharmacologic agents against other benign urological diseases. This article reviews the literature and contains some previously unpublished data about characterizations and activities of PDE5 and its inhibitors in treating urological disorders. Scientific discoveries have improved our understanding of cell-signaling pathway in NO/cGMP-mediated SM relaxation in UGTs. Moreover, the clinical applications of PDE5-1s have been widely recognized. On-demand PDE5-1s are efficacious for most cases of ED, while daily-dosing and combination with testosterone are recommended for refractory cases. Soluble guanylate cyclase （sGC） stimulators also have promising role in the management of severe ED conditions. PDE5-1s are also the first rehabilitation strategy for postoperation or postradiotherapy ED for prostate cancer patients. PDE5-1s, especially combined with （z-adrenoceptor antagonists, are very effective for benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） except on maximum urinary flow rate （Qmax） with tadalafil recently proved for BPH with/without ED. Furthermore, PDE5-1s are currently under various phases of clinical or preclinical researches with promising potential for other urinary and genital illnesses, such as priapism, premature ejaculation, urinary tract calculi, overactive bladder, Peyronie＇s disease, and female sexual dysfunction. Inhibition of PDE5 is expected to be an effective strategy in treating benign urological diseases. However, further clinical studies and basic researches investigating mechanisms of PDE5-1s in disorders of UGTs are required.

Aims In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), upfront combination therapy with ERA and PDE5i is associated with a reduction in morbidity and mortality events and improves standard haemodynamics, but data remain limited. Aims of this study were (i) to capture detailed haemodynamic effects of rapid sequential dual combination therapy in patients with newly diagnosed PAH; (ii) to monitor the impact of treatment initiation on clinical variables and patients' risk status, and (iii) to compare the treatment effect in patients with ‘classical PAH’ and ‘PAH with co‐morbidities’. Methods Fifty patients (median age 57 [42–71] years, 66% female) with newly diagnosed PAH (76% idiopathic) were treated with a PD5i/sGC‐S or ERA, followed by addition of the respective other drug class within 4 weeks. All patients underwent repeat right heart catheterization (RHC) during early follow‐up. Results At early repeat RHC (7 ± 2 months), there were substantial reductions in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP: 52.2 ± 13.5 to 39.0 ± 10.6 mmHg; −25.3%), and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR: 12.1 ± 5.7 to 5.8 ± 3.1 WU; −52.1%), and an increase in cardiac index (2.1 ± 0.4 to 2.7 ± 0.7 mL/min/m2; +32.2%) (all P < 0.05). Haemodynamic improvements correlated with improved clinical parameters including 6‐min walking distance (336 ± 315 to 389 ± 120 m), NTproBNP levels (1.712 ± 2.024 to 506 ± 550 ng/L, both P < 0.05) and WHO‐FC at 12 months, resulting in improved risk status, and were found in patients with few (n = 37) or multiple cardiovascular co‐morbidities (BMI > 30 kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease [≥3]; n = 13), albeit baseline PVR in PAH patients with multiple co‐morbidities was lower (9.3 ± 4.4 vs. 13.1 ± 5.9 WU) and PVR reduction less pronounced compared with those with few co‐morbidities (−42.7% vs. −54.7%). However, comprehensive haemodynamic assessment considering further variables of prognostic relevance such as stroke volume index and pulmonary artery compliance showed similar improvements among the two groups (SVI: +50.0% vs. +49.2%; PAC: 91.7% vs. 100.0%). Finally, the 4‐strata risk assessment approach was better able to capture treatment response as compared with other approaches, particularly in patients with co‐morbidities. Conclusions Rapid sequential combination therapy with PDE5i/sGC‐S and ERA substantially ameliorates cardiopulmonary haemodynamics at early follow‐up in patients without, and to a lesser extent, with cardiovascular co‐morbidities. This occurs in line with improvements of clinical parameters and risk status.