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Drug firm tests Viagra rival
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February 20, 2001: 1:16 p.m. ET
MacroChem reports clinical progress on topical gel to treat impotence
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Drug developer MacroChem Corp. announced positive results Tuesday from a mid-stage clinical trial of a topical gel designed to treat impotence, saying the treatment could help men who can't take sex remedy Viagra because of potential heart-related side effects.
The news sent the Lexington, Mass.-based company's stock about 25 percent higher in afternoon trading, with shares adding 81 cents to $4.06.
The medication, known as Topiglan, is a gel that is applied to the penis before attempting intercourse. The gel's active ingredient, alprostadil, affects only the penis and should pose no risk to men prescribed nitrates or other drugs for heart conditions, MacroChem (MCHM: Research, Estimates) said.
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Experts say some men cannot take Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE: Research, Estimates) blockbuster Viagra, which is an orally ingested pill, because it can cause side effects when taken along with certain heart medications.
Topiglan passed a Phase II clinical trial that studied its safety and efficacy. In a study of 60 men with moderate-to-severe erectile dysfunction, researchers found that 38.9 percent of the men who received Topiglan obtained erections, compared with only 6.8 percent receiving a placebo, or dummy, medication.
 The company is now studying the drug in advanced trials, in which 460 patients will use the gel in home trials with their partners.
"These results demonstrate that MacroChem had good reason to proceed to a Phase III home trial, because Topiglan clearly showed potential for both good efficacy and safety," Dr. Irwin Goldstein, of the Boston University School of Medicine, said in a news release.
Goldstein, an expert in erectile dysfunction who also helped study Pfizer's Viagra several years ago, co-authored a paper in the February edition of the journal Urology detailing the findings about Topiglan.
Viagra generates sales of about $1 billion a year, and is one of Pfizer's biggest-selling products. Other drugmakers, including Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY: Research, Estimates) and its partner Icos Corp. (ICOS: Research, Estimates), are hoping to bring competing products to the market. 
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