A new use for an old drug

Drs. Alvaro Morales, Michael Adams and Jeremy Heaton (pictured left to right) developed an exciting new use for apomorphine, a drug used by doctors for more than a century to rid patients of poison. Recognizing the fast-acting effects of apomorphine on the central nervous system and its ability to stimulate erection, the Queen’s University researchers began exploring ways of delivering the drug so as to bypass the stomach and avoid the drug’s primary effects of nausea and vomiting. Their discovery that the drug could be absorbed directly into the blood stream through the membranes of the mouth formed the basis for Uprima™, the first centrally acting therapy for male erectile dysfunction approved by the European Commission. The drug is approved for use in 71 countries and is currently on sale in 56 countries worldwide.

Photo: Darko Zeljkovic/Toronto Star

Dr. Adams' research

Department of Urology - Faculty profiles