Patient perspectives on Peyronie’s disease: results of poststudy interviews from a phase 2 trial of collagenase clostridium histolyticum

Intralesional injection of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) improves Peyronie’s disease (PD) symptoms; however, patient perspectives regarding PD and CCH treatment have not been fully elucidated. This cross-sectional qualitative study included heterosexual men with PD who received ≥1 injection of study medication and had ≥1 posttreatment Peyronie’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ) assessment during a prior phase 2b clinical trial. These patients were “responders” if they reported (as part of the Global Assessment of the PDQ) that overall symptoms and effects of PD had at least “improved in a small but important way” after CCH therapy. Among 45 patients interviewed, penile bending or curvature was the most common and bothersome PD symptom reported (by 97.8% and 48.9% of patients, respectively). Patients indicated that multiple alterations were necessary in their sex lives because of penile symptoms and specified that these changes impacted their emotional health and partner relationship. Treatment with CCH improved PD symptoms (44.4%), frequency of or ability to have vaginal intercourse (22.2%) and partner relationship (22.2%), particularly among responders. Given that physical, psychologic and sexual function are impacted by PD, clinical trials that evaluate treatments for PD should include patient-reported outcome measures (e.g., the PDQ) to assess overall well-being after treatment.