Reclaiming intimacy: Dicot Pharma's mission to transform the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Elin Trampe, CEO of Dicot Pharma, is pioneering a breakthrough treatment for erectile dysfunction that promises to transform men's sexual health.

In Sweden's biotech area, a small but important change is happening. For almost 30 years, men around the world have only had one type of drug to treat erectile dysfunction. Now, Dicot Pharma is about to change this with a new treatment called LIB-01. This treatment is special because as well as being highly effective, it helps people feel more relaxed and natural again.

From industrial engineering to intimate solutions

Elin Trampe is the CEO of Dicot Pharma. She has a background in the life sciences having worked for big companies and new start-ups. And now she has to deal with the hopes of 9,000 shareholders as she leads Dicot to success. But Trampe's journey to leading a company focused on sexual health was not straightforward.

She has a Master's degree in Industrial engineering and Management, and she started her career in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. But then she was attracted to the life sciences. ‘’I spent the first ten years of my career working in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Then I moved into life science and experienced that beautiful world. I've worked for companies like GE Healthcare and also smaller biotech companies before I joined Dicot Pharma. I've been here at Dicot Pharma since 2021.’’

‘’It's very clear how important it is for a smaller biotech like Dicot Pharma to actually have a very broad perspective in everything that you do", she explains. ‘’It's easy to think that maybe it's just the clinical trials that are important and to have good results there. But there are so many other things to think about, like to incorporate commercial aspects as soon as possible. You need to consider all these things from the very start of a product's development. It's also about the supply chain, regulatory aspects, and investor relations for a company like ours that's listed on the stock market.’’ The moving parts are many, like playing chess on six boards at once. But Trampe has a different view: "It's like a big puzzle and you need to have control of all pieces and how they fit together.’’

Ending a 27-year period without new ideas or products

The erectile dysfunction market has been dominated by a single class of drugs since Viagra was launched 27 years ago. Since then, men have been dealing with their side effects, and they haven't been getting the treatment they need. ‘’We are developing a completely new treatment for erectile dysfunction. It's a new class of drug. We call it the next generation of potency drugs’’, says Trampe.

The current situation is difficult for many people. ‘’Half of the men who try the current medications stop taking them’’, she says. ‘’The main reasons for this are that the medications don´t work well for over 30% of men, has disturbing side effects, or that it makes it difficult for couples to be spontaneous because they have to take it at a certain time. Current on-demand treatments, you should take like an hour before sexual activity. Which of course takes away the spontaneity in the relationship’’, Trampe notes.

Then there's LIB-01, Dicot Pharma's latest treatment. It works better for longer, allowing future patients and their partners to get back to natural intimacy. It is part of a new class of treatment that is different from PD5 inhibitors, which have been the main type of treatment for many years. ‘’Our molecule actually addresses the shortcomings with current medication. And one particular unique feature is that it has shown a very long duration of action. We could see that in the first clinical study. This was a safety trial, the first to be done in humans. We also did some exploratory effect measurements. We could see a clear efficacy signal that the effect lasted for at least four weeks. This has implications for more than just how well it works: it can also help to heal relationships. This means that couples can get their sexual lives back to how they were before they had these issues.’’

There is an increasing need

Erectile dysfunction isn't just linked to getting older; there are other reasons why it is becoming more common. ‘’The number of men with erectile dysfunction is increasing. It can be caused by other health problems, such as obesity, mental health issues, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. And all of these diseases are becoming more common in today's society. But it’s also linked to getting older. We're living longer and healthier lives, and we also expect our sex lives to last a long time. But the stigma around talking about it openly is still there, and that makes it harder to deal with.’’

‘’It's still quite stigmatised’’, Trampe acknowledges. ‘’But we do see a tendency that more and more seem to seek help. This is linked to how men see themselves. But we should not forget the role of their partner. Often, it becomes a relationship issue. The lack of intimacy can cause problems. The partner might start to ask themselves: 'Is it me? Is there something wrong with me?’.’’

‘’Talking about it is really important’’, says Trampe. ‘’We can see that things are changing in society, which is a good sign. We see a tendency, in at least many parts of the world, that the debate and this topic are being discussed more and more. This makes it less of a taboo subject. The global market for potency drugs is huge, which shows that this problem is common and that the current solutions are not good enough. LIB-01 has some advantages, which means good news for people who haven't had much choice in the past.’’

Good signs and more opportunities

Dicot Pharma's work in clinical trials has shown good results. LIB-01's duration of action has caught the attention of medical experts and investors, who recognise the big change it represents. Now, the company's Phase 2a clinical trial for LIB-01 has reached its halfway point in participant dosing, which is a significant milestone in a field that has seen little progress for a long time.

The company has a strong position with significant patents in the United States, which protect their innovations as they move closer to market. Each regulatory approval is not just a win for the company, but a step closer to making a real difference to people's lives. While the company's main focus is on treating erectile dysfunction, the research has revealed other possible uses for the substance.

‘’We have early data showing that the substance seems to have effect also on premature ejaculation’’, she continues. Premature ejaculation is another sexual problem that is more common in younger men. ‘’Last year, 2024, we also noticed that the substance seemed to have an effect on metabolic disorders. This includes obesity and type 2 diabetes. These findings have led to more research in the lab, exploring how the substance can be used for other things while still focusing on the main priority erectile dysfunction.’’

Dicot Pharma's funding journey

Dicot Pharma's story is closely linked to Sweden's unique biotech industry, which Trampe says is a place where new ideas are born. ‘’There are many new biotech companies, driven by an active industry. There is a strong focus on life science at universities and in incubators. A special thing about Sweden is that it is quite common for small biotech companies to raise money on the stock market. The way the stock market works in Sweden is very special. I think Sweden has the most listed companies in Europe.’’

This market structure has helped Dicot Pharma to raise money. ‘’For us, Dicot Pharma, we have been listed since 2018. First on Spotlight and then we moved to Nasdaq First North last year. This has helped us to fund the development of our pharmaceutical products. We now have over 9000 shareholders. The move to Nasdaq First North Growth Market, which started on 7 November 2024, was a strategic step up. It was a very natural step to take to list on the Nasdaq First North. This increased our visibility to more international investors and institutional capital, for example. It's a big move to get people to know about the company. But it's also like a quality stamp to be on Nasdaq.’’

This move wasn't just about changing addresses, it was a deliberate step to make the company more well-known internationally, more competitive, and to reach more potential investors. ‘’Recent stock performance has shown positive trends, which is a sign that the path they've chosen is the right one. While Dicot Pharma is still in the development stage and doesn't currently make a profit, a recent successful fundraising event has made its finances stronger. This money will help the company continue to develop its products.’’

Working together and looking to the future

As Dicot Pharma carries on with its work, its main aims are to complete its current clinical trial. ‘’The focus now is to finish the ongoing Phase 2A trial. But then it's also to do more research and assess whether to add more indications to the pipeline. The company isn't doing this alone. We are working with development partners and experts around the world. We are also talking to other pharma companies because we have a business model that involves regularly evaluating strategic partnerships and outlicensing to make our future products as successful as possible.’’

What stands out most to Trampe is the level of enthusiasm her company's work has generated. ‘’Actually, the high interest that we see in this field, again without innovations for almost 30 years, is really exciting. So we see a huge interest from world leading medical experts. Also, lots of men are contacting me, telling me their stories and asking when the product will be available and how they can join the trials.’’

Elin Trampe has been CEO of Dicot Pharma since 2022, bringing extensive experience in business development, international partnerships, and product development, notably from her previous role as CTO at Oasmia Pharmaceutical. She joined Dicot in 2021 as COO and now leads the company's development of its lead drug candidate, LIB-01, for treating sexual dysfunction. Trampe holds an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management.