One of the most toxic spider species in the world is found in Brazil and other South American countries. It is the Phoneutria nigriventer, which is also known as the banana spider or armadeira, a name that is due to the fact that when it attacks it keeps its front legs raised. It belongs to the ctenidae family and its venom can cause an involuntary and painful erection –priapism–, especially in the case of young men.
This unwanted effect could become an advantage if it is well used by science, since a new study has found that a toxin identified by researchers from the Ezequiel Días Foundation (Funed) that contains the venom of the Brazilian banana spider can be used to develop a promising drug that helps treat erectile dysfunction safely and effectively.
To unravel the mechanisms that trigger priapism generated by this dangerous toxin, a group of scientists from the General University of Minas Gerais (UFGM) in Brazil, after almost 20 years studying this toxin, has developed in the laboratory a synthetic molecule with potential properties to create an innovative and safe drug to treat sexual impotence. This peptide, called BZ371A, has so far generated 22 international patents and nine applied for.
Topical application of BZ371A produces vasodilation and an increase in local blood flow, independently of any other stimulus, facilitating penile erection.
“It is research inspired by our biodiversity, which begins with the study of spider venom and is close to generating a possible medicine. This helps demonstrate why our fauna must be preserved: it is an inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules and we do not know even 1% of this potential. Our work, which is basic science, seeks to identify biological activities of interest in poisons and detect possible drug models for a wide range of diseases,” stated María Elena de Lima, retired from the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology of the ICB, volunteer professor of the UFMG and professor and researcher at the Faculty of Health of Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, who has led the researchers.
A topical drug to treat sexual impotence
The oral medications available to treat erectile dysfunction – including Viagra and Cialis – work for 70% of patients, but the other 30%, such as men with hypertension or severe diabetes, have some contraindication to their use associated with their risks. and side effects – such as hypotension, fainting and headache – resulting from systemic exposure.
The sexual impotence drug candidate, recently approved in phase 1 testing, has the potential to treat men with erectile dysfunction who cannot use available medications. Authorized by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the first stage of clinical tests has already shown that the compound is not toxic to humans. In a pilot test, carried out in men and women, the researchers observed that topical application of BZ371A produces vasodilation and an increase in local blood flow, independently of any other stimulus, facilitating penile erection. These results indicate that BZ371A is a potent and effective drug candidate for the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
Biozeus Biopharmaceutical, a Brazilian biotechnology company, acquired the patent for the potential drug, which it named BZ371A. Biozeus carried out pending preliminary tests and presented the work to Anvisa, in order to request authorization for the phase 1 clinical trial. This phase was preceded by a pilot experiment, carried out in both men and women. “This step demonstrated that the topically applied peptide had no side effects detectable by biochemical or blood pressure tests. In both men and women, it caused an increase in blood flow in the inguinal region. This test was very important to demonstrate that the peptide had an effect in humans; It is worth remembering that the effect observed in animals is not always repeated in humans,” observes María Elena.
Biozeus has requested approval from Anvisa for phase 2 of the tests, which will be carried out in men with prostatectomies, that is, who have undergone surgery to remove the prostate, an intervention that usually causes erectile dysfunction. Regarding phase 2. In this stage, María Elena points out, the potential of the medication will be tested, comparing its effect in healthy individuals with that generated in men with prostatectomies.
According to Paulo Lacativa, CEO of Biozeus, the stigma surrounding sexual issues makes many men decide to delay the operation, which puts at risk the effectiveness of the treatment of tumors and other diseases that affect the prostate. “The medication, if successful, should even help treat prostate cancer,” he says. In the next stage, phase 3, testing will be expanded and can be carried out in hospitals. Only after this can the drug be validated as a medicine.
Researchers also highlight the advantages of a topical medication. “The tests so far have shown that the compound works with the application of a minimal amount and without any toxicity, since it is practically not detected in the bloodstream. The big advantage is that approval of topical medications tends to be much faster, due to the lower chance of adverse side effects. Furthermore, the drug candidate has already shown that it does not generate detected side effects, even when injected in high doses,” highlights María Elena.
The safety of topical application of BZ371A in women was also confirmed in the phase 1 study. These data open the possibility of developing a drug for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Paulo Lacativa points out that around 40% of women suffer from some type of sexual dysfunction and many of them do not find adequate treatment. “The increase in local blood flow and vascularization has been demonstrated in previous studies and could be an opportunity to be explored by Biozeus in the near future,” he concludes.
