Game-changing new erectile dysfunction gel that works within 10 minutes is now on sale in Boots

A new treatment for erectile dysfunction that works within ten minutes has been hailed as a ‘breakthrough’.

Eroxon is the first topical gel for impotence proven to work in clinical trials and available without a prescription.

It will be sold over the counter in Boots in the UK and Ireland from today, in store and online, with a suggested retail price of £24.99 for four single-use applications.

The gel is an alternative to standard treatments such as Viagra, which comes in pill form, can take up to an hour to kick in and is not suitable for all men.

A phase 3 study of 250 men showed that after using Eroxon for 12 weeks, 63 percent showed significant improvement in erectile function as measured by standardized tests.

The effects were confirmed in a second phase 3 study, involving 47 men and lasting 24 weeks, with 61 percent of men seeing a meaningful change.

Very few side effects were reported during the studies, including men with moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. These include headache, nausea and skin irritation.

Eroxon works in a new way. Components in the gel evaporate, quickly cooling the penis and stimulating the nerve endings.

A secondary, slower, warming action further activates neurotransmitters, leading to the formation of nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide is essential for erections because it relaxes the muscles in the erectile tissues of the penis, allowing blood to flow in and causing stiffness.

In the studies, an erection occurred within 10 minutes of applying the Eroxon gel to the head of the penis in 60 percent of cases.

Like Viagra, which was originally developed to treat angina pectoris, Eroxon also came about by accident.

Scientists at Futura Medical, the UK-based pharmaceutical company behind the treatment, investigated whether gel forms of angina medication could be used as an ED treatment.

They made a fast-evaporating gel to which the drug could be added and used this gel only as a placebo in studies.

But the results showed that gel on its own was just as effective as the angina gel.

Dr. Hilary Jones, TV GP and advisor to the Eroxon ED Information Panel (EEDIP), said: ‘Eroxon offers a breakthrough for sexual well-being.

‘Eroxon gel ensures that sexual spontaneity remains intact thanks to its speed of action.

“Previous ED treatments can take up to an hour to work, potentially destroying any intimacy.

“Moreover, super studies show that almost 50 percent of men stopped.”

Professor David Ralph, consultant urologist and former president of the European Society of Sexual Medicine, said: ‘The efficacy of Eroxon is remarkable, approaching the efficacy of current first-line therapy, but with significantly fewer side effects.’

The main treatment for ED are drugs called PDE-5 inhibitors, including sildenafil, under the brand name Viagra.

They work by increasing the dilation of blood vessels and blocking PDE-5, an enzyme that causes erection loss, thereby prolonging nitric oxide.

While Viagra is immensely beneficial for some, it has limitations, including that people with some health conditions, such as heart disease or low blood pressure, cannot use them.

Viagra takes at least 30 minutes to work, possibly more depending on whether a person has eaten.

It has ‘common’ side effects such as headache, facial flushing and dizziness, according to the NHS.

There are several creams and gels available that claim to help men in the bedroom but are not scientifically proven to work or require a prescription, such as Vitaros cream, which also works by widening blood vessels.

ED affects up to half of men over the age of 40, studies show. Aging-related conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, are underlying causes.

But psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, stress, or performance anxiety, can be profound, more often the cause of ED in younger men, who are increasingly showing the condition.

A 2023 Omnibus survey of more than 1,000 ED patients and their partners found that half of men have a sense of failure and 15 percent avoid sex because of it.