Dicot Pharma Unveils MoA Findings for Potency Therapy
The latest studies on the mechanism of action for LIB-01 have demonstrated that the drug targets the underlying nerves and vascular structures that are involved in penile erections.
Swedish pharmaceutical company, Dicot Pharma, has revealed the latest findings on the mechanism of action (MoA) of its potency therapy, LIB-01, which demonstrate that the drug affects the underlying structures that control penile erection. These findings, which were announced in a May 28, 2025 press release (1), also provide an explanation as to the drug’s ability to provide longer-lasting effects and how it is different from other potency therapies.
“The fact that LIB-01 acts on structures that control penile erection, rather than in the erectile tissue, is a very important distinction,” said Charlotta Gauffin, CSO, Dicot Pharma, in the press release (1). “In addition, we have now found an explanatory model for the long duration of action. From a scientific perspective, these research findings are very interesting, and I look forward to continuing to unfold the mechanism of action.”
As a vascular event, penile erections happen when there is an increase in arterial flow to the penis in reaction to stimulation while there is also simultaneous relaxation of erectile tissue to allow for blood to fill in the cavernous bodies of the penis. These actions are all under neural command and when analyzing the gene expressions involved in erections, Dicot Pharma found that their drug candidate have an effect on the nervous and vascular structures that are involved.
“There is no potency drug today that works in this way,” added Elin Trampe, CEO, Dicot Pharma, in the press release (1). “It underlines our potential to revolutionize the market and offer a completely new treatment that can help many more people.”
According to market research, the erectile dysfunction drugs market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.69% between 2025 and 2034, as a result of the increasingly aging population, more stressful and sedentary lifestyles, and poor lifestyle choices, which are contributing to a rise in erectile dysfunction (2). Currently, therapies approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction are oral medications that inhibit phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) — an enzyme found in the corpus cavernosum that regulates cyclic guanosine monophosphate (3).
However, with the orally administered PDE5 inhibitors, efficacy is dependent on a sufficient arterial inflow and the duration of effect short. While LIB-01 is also administered orally, it targets the underlying nervous and vascular structures that are involved in penile erections, which means its effects are longer-lasting (1).
The results of a Phase I clinical trial, which evaluated the safety profile of LIB-01, demonstrated that the drug offered improved erectile function over a period of four-weeks. Additionally, the drug was shown to have a short plasma half-life, which in addition to the duration of effect could have the potential to offer a paradigm shift in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (4).
References
Dicot Pharma. Dicot Pharma’s New Findings on Mechanism of Action: “Affects the Nerves Controlling Penile Erection”. Press Release, May 28, 2025.
Precedence Research. Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Market Size, Share, and Trends 2025 to 2034. Market Research Report, Feb. 21, 2025.
Huang, S.A.; Lie, J.D. Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) Inhibitors in the Management of Erectile Dysfunction. P&T, 2013, 38(7), 414–419.
Dicot Pharma. Dicot Pharma’s Results Attract Great Attention in the U.S. Press Release, Oct. 22, 2024.