Viagra and Other Male Enhancement Drugs Could Treat Rare Muscular Disease

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare form of muscular dystrophy that affects 1 in every 3,600 male infants. The disease is famous for progressing quickly, and with no known cure for the drug, many who suffer from it don't live past 30.

Thus far, the only known drug in development to treat this rare disease is called eteplirsen, which is going to be filed for FDA-approval by its drug manufacturer, Sarepta Therapeutics, at the end of this year. On April 21, the company announced that the FDA was working with them to expedite the approval process for the drug.

However, scientists believe that those with the disease can be helped before the lengthy approval process brings them an effective drug. On Thursday, health experts reported that Viagra and Cialis were found to improve blood flow in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a study. They believe that this can slow the onset of the disease, but it would not improve one's ability to walk.

Scientists at the Cedars-Sinai Institute in Los Angeles conducted a study of 10 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who had blood flow problems. Each were given a single dose of sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis) and it was discovered that blood flow in the boys' muscles was restored to a healthy level.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Ronald Victor, told BBC News, "If you can restore the blood flow you might be able to slow the disease progression, but not cure it."

This short-term treatment can help patients in the meantime who are waiting for eteplirsen to be approved by the FDA later this year. Additionally, this treatment discovery could help a larger amount of boys who suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Eteplirsen is expected to treat a subset of the disease that is suffered by only 13% of boys.

The rare muscular condition becomes fatal when blood flow dramatically decreases and the muscles are unable to breathe. The muscle weakness begins in the legs and pelvis, and patients usually require a wheelchair by 10-years-old. It can then progress less severely to the arms, neck, and other areas of the body, further affecting one's ability to walk.