The Future Developments, and Medical Advancements for Peyronie's Disease

Shedding New Light on Peyronie’s Disease

Modern science has paved the way for medical advances that were unimaginable some twenty years ago. However, there is one disorder that has, for the most part, been ignored by health researchers. Peyronie’s Disease, which causes the penis to bend at unnatural angles, has become the neglected stepchild in an otherwise medically developed world.

“As most patients seeking care enjoy 21st century medicine,” says Mark M. Newell PhD. a leading research authority in men’s penile health. “There is a significant portion of the American population who suffer from Peyronie’s Disease, a condition that is largely, and erroneously, considered untreatable.”

Named by Francois de la Peyronie in 1743, Peyronie’s Disease, is caused when scar tissue forms within a tough sheath that surrounds the erection-inducing chambers of the penis. As the penis becomes hard, this scar tissue crimps the chambers forcing them to arch. This phallic phenomenon strikes in varying degrees of severity, may be painful, and in some cases can prevent intercourse.

Hurdling the Barriers of Peyronie’s

Although Peyronie’s Disease has seen some very promising results in clinical trials, it still remains steeped in myth and misinformation. According to Dr. Newell, the reasons for this are threefold – medical communication, commerce and demand.

The first issue is one of limited idea exchange among medical professionals. For centuries Peyronie’s has been considered untreatable and until recently, was thought to occur in only a small percentage of the population. Since the majority of the medical community considers the disorder a rare, lost cause, there hasn’t been much research assigned to it. Only recently have scientific breakthroughs motivated doctors and researchers to consider tests for Peyronie’s.

“New advances are only just being reported through the professional media, and they will be slow to appear on the ‘radar’ of most physicians in regular practice,” says Dr. Newell. “In one sense, this is not surprising considering the conservative nature of the average family physician, and, to a lesser degree, the specialist.”

Secondly, due to a lack of commercial viability, Peyronie’s Disease has seldom been the target of progressive research. In the words of Dr. Newell, the syndrome “simply isn’t medically marketable.”

Physicians are often under a great deal of pressure to generate as much revenue as possible out of a typical, long workday. If a condition is considered untreatable, a successful outcome for the patient – and the accompanying revenue for the doctor – is doubtful. Simply put, a doctor stands to make a lot more money by treating a disorder, than he does by turning a patient away with the grim news that there’s no hope for treatment.

The high cost of clinical trials is another financial stumbling block for Peyronie’s research. Before any treatment is made available in the US it must undergo extensive clinical trials.

Considering the $7,000 to $10,000, price tag and the time it takes to complete a trial – between six months and six years – drugs and devices that have a bleak financial future don’t usually make it past boardroom discussions.

Lastly, a lack of demand has helped to put Peyronie’s on the back burner of physician priorities. Because they lack knowledge on the most recent findings, patients often don’t insist on treatment for the disease. Doing ones homework ahead of time can mean the difference between success and failure in a medical examination room.

“The single most powerful influence in a doctor’s office is the informed patient,” claims Dr. Newell. “When armed with the recent history of advances in Peyronie’s Disease treatment, the patient can alert his physician to these developments, and suggest sources for further information.” With the new data at his disposal it’s easier for the doctor to make a recommendation for treatment.

Securing the Future of Peyronie’s Research

Within the last two years Peyronie’s Disease has been the focus of significant progress on a number of fronts. The following are three areas in which advances are being made.

• Surgical techniques for the removal of Peyronie’s scar tissue along with surgery to correct penile curvature have seen some very high success rates.
• Verapamil, Interferon and Collagenase are all drugs that are being actively investigated for their positive effect on decreasing Peyronie’s scar tissue.
• Another promising trial being conducted by Peyronie’s researcher Dr. Laurence Levine, involves a spring-loaded cradle small enough to be worn under clothing whether in an office or a construction site. The device offers the first medically acceptable process of mechanical traction therapy.

Although evidence suggests that an effective treatment for Peyronie’s could be right around the corner, the success of such a remedy is dependant on an informed and proactive public.

“News of such therapies doesn’t travel as well as it would if a cure for AIDS or some forms of cancer were to be announced,” says Dr. Newell. “Therefore, if such developments do take place, it will be up to sufferers of the condition to move the news forward.”

The way to achieve this is by working closely with doctors, supporting advocacy groups such as the Association for Peyronie’s Disease Advocates and by helping to update sources such as WebMD with the latest findings.

“A grass roots movement such as this will heighten awareness, generate demand for treatment and even convince private and government funding sources that financing further research on Peyronie’s Disease can now be fruitful,” says Dr. Newell.