UM Announces Clinical Trial Treating Erectile Dysfunction With PRP

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has announced that it will conduct clinical trials to treat erectile dysfunction with platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

The trials will determine the safety and effectiveness of the treatment by injecting the study participants with PRP. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get an erection that is firm enough for a man to have sexual intercourse. Experts believe that several factors can contribute to the condition, including emotional and physical disorders.

The Associate Professor of Urology, Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, believes that administering the patients with PRP might cure the underlying disease. Ramasamy is a specialist in the treatment of disorders of male infertility and sexual dysfunction and the principal investigator for the UM-funded study. 

"PRP has been used in orthopedics, dermatology, and other fields for several years. There have been many claims about using platelet-rich plasma for erectile dysfunction, but no rigorous clinical studies are there," said Dr. Ranjith.

The university will begin registering people for its trials in June under the guidance of the Miller School's Department of Urology. It will recruit people suffering erectile dysfunction as participants for the trial, which will last for six months. During the trial, about 40 of the 80 individuals will be infused with their own plasma, whereas the remaining participants will receive a placebo.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the University of Miami has taken appropriate precautionary measures so that none of the varsity staffers and trial participants may contract the virus. The observation rooms will be disinfected, and healthcare workers will use protective gear while dealing with the individuals. If any of the participants shows symptoms of COVID-19, they'll be separated from the rest and will be treated in an isolated area, the university said.