Alprostadil is a prostaglandin E1 agonist used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and as an adjunct for its diagnosis. Alprostadil is a chemically-identical synthetic form of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), a potent vasodilator produced endogenously.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 4 references
Alprostadil is a smooth muscle relaxant that promotes vasodilation and platelet aggregation inhibition. In neonatal patients with ductus arteriosus patency, alprostadil relaxes the ductus arteriosus (DA) smooth muscle, preventing or reversing the functional closure of the DA that occurs shortly after birth. This results in increased pulmonary or systemic blood flow in infants. Alprostadil appears to be most effective within 96 hours after birth since the DA rapidly loses its responsiveness to alprostadil.
When administered by intracavernosal injection or as an intraurethral suppository, alprostadil acts locally to relax the trabecular smooth muscle of the corpora cavernosa and the cavernosal arteries. Swelling, elongation, and rigidity of the penis result when arterial blood rapidly flows into the corpus cavernosum to expand the lacunar spaces. The entrapped blood reduces the venous blood outflow as sinusoids compress against the tunica albuginea leading to penile rigidity. This is referred to as the corporal veno-occlusive mechanism.
- Primary indication
- Alprostadil is indicated for palliative, not definitive, therapy to temporarily maintain the patency of the ductus arteriosus until corrective or palliative surgery can be performed in neonates who have congenital heart defects and who depend...Curator reviewed · 4 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C20H34O5 · 354.487 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 2000 · United States, 1981
- Also known as
- PGE-1 · PGE1 · Prostaglandin E1
- Code names
- ONO-1608 · U-10,136
- Brand names
Resolves to
GMVPRGQOIOIIMI-DWKJAMRDSA-NSMILESCCCCC[C@H](O)\C=C\[C@H]1[C@H](O)CC(=O)[C@@H]1CCCCCCC(O)=OWhat you can answer from here — as of September 23, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Alprostadil, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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