Move over Viagra! Spider's erection-inducing venom could 'cure' erectile dysfunction | The Sun

SPIDER venom is being trialled as a rub-on gel for erectile dysfunction.

Scientists believe they can harness the power of the Brazilian wandering spider to boost men’s performance in the bedroom.

A bite from the deadly creepy crawly can cause “long and painful erections”.

Some 72 men will now test out a gel made from a molecule in the venom, with results expected in the spring.

Professor Maria Elena De Lima, of Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, said: “The drug candidate has demonstrated it does not generate any side effects, even in high doses.”

Around 16.5million men in Britain are affected by erectile dysfunction, with around half of those aged 40 to 70 blighted by it.

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The NHS last year spent £18.3million on prescriptions for meds — including Viagra and Cialis — to treat it.

Tests on the spider venom began decades ago, after scientists spotted its erection-inducing potential — despite it sometimes causing penis flesh to rot away.

Trials in 2019 showed the molecule improved blood flow to the penis by 113 per cent when applied as a gel.

The compound, called BZ371A, helped men achieve erections within half an hour.

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It is thought to work by boosting levels of nitric oxide, which opens the blood vessels in the penis — allowing more blood in during arousal.

Scientists are now preparing phase 2 clinical trials to test the drug on men who have had prostate removal surgery because of cancer.

Patients often suffer with erectile dysfunction because of the surgery and researchers hope it could give them fresh hope and mean fewer men are put off cancer treatment.

If successful, tests will be expanded and carried out at hospitals before the manufacturer Biozeus seeks approval for use more widely.

Professor Elena said: “Tests have demonstrated that the compound works without any toxicity, as it is practically not detected in the bloodstream. 

“The big advantage is that the approval of topical medications tends to be much faster, due to the lower possibility of adverse side effects.”

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