The
first drug to treat Peyronie’s disease—an embarrassing and sometimes
painful curvature of the penis—won approval from the Food
and Drug Administration.
It estimates as
many as 9 percent of men have the condition, which can make intercourse
painful or impossible. “It’s a soul-destroying disease,” said Stan Hardin, a plumber who started the Association of Peyronie’s Disease Advocates after developing the condition. He said the approval offered hope to men, many of whom might now seek treatment. Named
after the French physician who first described it in 1741, the
condition is caused by the buildup of plaque under the skin of the
penis.
The
drug, Xiaflex, is made by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals. It's an enzyme, derived from a gangrene-causing bacterium, that breaks down collagen, the main component of the plaque.
Treatment with Xiaflex consists of a series of eight injections in the penis, spaced six weeks apart. Pain, swelling and bruising can develop in the injection
area.
Xiaflex
costs $3,300 an injection, so a full course of eight injections would
cost about $26,000, in addition to a doctor’s fee. OUCH!
SOURCE
Photo from http://ladychowchow.com. Thanks.
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