Recruitment ongoing for new therapy to address painful male problem

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 7, 2023 /CNW/ - A new clinical trial is currently recruiting men struggling with a painful, but not uncommon, condition: chronic scrotal pain. The Phase II study is testing an important new therapeutic approach to treat this condition at our centre in Vancouver and in other locations across Canada including  Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal and plans to enroll 63 people over the next six months.

"Chronic scrotal pain affects almost 5% of men, yet just a fraction of them ever seek treatment," says Dr. Ryan Flannigan, study lead, Associate Professor, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia and a Senior Research Scientist with the Vancouver Prostate Centre. "Many patients with this condition are left with untreated pain- it can have a huge impact on quality of life."

Sustained Therapeutics has developed a new slow-release formulation of an established local anesthetic Lidocaine, to treat chronic pain and clinical trials are being carried out to determine its effectiveness. The medication has successfully completed a Phase I trial with promising initial results.

"Our trial seeks to determine whether repeat injections of the patented sustained-release pain medication are effective in reducing chronic scrotal pain, says Dr. Martin Gleave, Sustained Therapeutics' CMO and Professor Emeritus in the UBC Department of Urologic Sciences and Director of the Vancouver Prostate Centre. "The drug is also being tested in a separate Phase II trial for acute post-operative pain, with the goal of reducing the use of opioids for the management of chronic and acute pain."

Chronic scrotal pain afflicts men of all ages. Common causes of scrotal pain include a previous infection, inflammation in the tube at the back of the testicles that stores and carries sperm, nerves that have been irritated or pinched during hernia repair, a blow to the testicle area and vasectomy, but the exact cause is unknown in more than a third of cases.

"In many cases, it's debilitating," Flannigan says. "Men have to avoid certain activities such as walking, running and cycling. Even sitting or wearing form-fitting clothing can trigger pain, as well as intercourse and ejaculation. Some people are missing work and occasionally people are on disability because of it."

Effective treatment options are limited: rest, ice and scrotal supports along with pain education and counselling are often used. Unfortunately, men tend not to seek medical treatment for these types of conditions, due to perceived stigma and lack of information about treatment options.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing chronic scrotal pain please reach out to learn more about the study. Additional information about the study can be found at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05707208.

The Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC) has a track record of success that has earned it a reputation as one of the world's most respected cancer facilities.  It is a National Centre of Excellence and a designated Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. The combination of a large patient clinic and clinical trials facility, together with a world-class translational research program under the same roof, make the VPC the largest program of its kind in Canada. The Vancouver Prostate Centre is hosted by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and the University of British Columbia, and receives substantial financial support from the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation.

SOURCE Vancouver Prostate Centre