New Israeli start-up company is leading the way with a new medical device which is used at home to treat erectile dysfunction and could replace Viagra.
Ohh-Med Medical was founded by Daniel Lischinsky with the launch of Vertica – a ‘world first’ alternative to subscription-based medicine – that uses radiofrequency technology to ‘regenerate’ the collagen and elastin fibres in the penis.
The V-shaped device, which has handles – or ‘wings’ on each side, was developed by Lischinsky at his home in Israel before it underwent its first clinical study. Staggeringly, Vertica improved matters for 85 per cent of participants, who had ED for more than six months, in the pilot trial and helped more than 50 per cent to reach normal levels of performance.
The Vertica treatment relies on the use of low frequency radio waves delivered from electrodes in the ring of the device which gently ‘warm’ the male organ and its inner tissues without harming the external skin. The protocol is for men to undergo three 30-minute treatments per week for the first month followed by two treatments for next 30 days with some men experiencing results within four weeks.
Dr Fabio Castiglione, Consultant Urologist and Andrologist at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Associate Professor at the University College London (UCL) has described Vertica as ‘revolutionary’, ‘creditable’ and potentially ‘life changing’ for millions of men suffering with the issue.
Registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK and having received CE-MDR approval in Europe – with FDA clearance in the US expected in late 2024 – Vertica promises to be a ‘game-changer’ in this space, especially for men looking to avoid taking medication which can have side effects. Since it first became available to discreetly purchase online in the UK in September, Ohh-Med Medical has seen it sales increase by 2,200 per cent in just four months.
Lischinsky, who is also CEO of Ohh-Med Medical, previously founded Endymed Medical Ltd, an aesthetics company, working as Chief Technological Officer (CTO) , which has traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange market (ENDY).
The company used a technology which stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin fibres, resulting in tighter, smoother skin, mostly on the cheek, jowl and neck areas of the face.
After leaving Endymed and carrying out some extensive research Lischinsky made a connection between the quality of collagen and ED and, backed by Israeli investment company Arbelon Holdings which invests in in hi-tech, med-tech, consumer industries, and early-stage start-ups, began work on a prototype of the device before the clinical study was held at Rambam Health Care Campus in Northern Israel.
Lischinsky said: “I carried out lots of research into the manipulation of collagen and, over time, made a link with this and ED. I arranged meetings with many urologists in Israel and straightaway it was clear that we were standing on the brink of a major technological breakthrough for men. We had basically come up with the idea of safely treating the inner layer of the penis without warming the outer layer which is what all medical companies in this field have been attempting to do for decades.
“I developed and built a prototype of Vertica at my home and, once it was ready, sought immediate seed investment to get things moving. I was fortunate to be backed by generous investors who see Vertica as a project for the benefit of humanity, rather than just about money.”
ED can affect about half of men over the age of 40, according to the NHS. In England and Wales, 4.1 million prescriptions were made for items such as Viagra, Sildenafil and other common ED treatments. Drugs can have side effects such as headaches, nausea, hot flushes, indigestion, a stuffy nose, and dizziness.
Unlike Viagra and other subscription-based medicine, Lischinsky says Vertica works in a very ‘organic’ way as it is totally drug-free. Lischinsky said: “Blood must flow into the penis and not escape to enable it to ‘perform’. The layers of collagen and elastin which is like a rubber band enable this to happen, however, these deteriorate over time. In fact, even from their early 20s, men lose a little of the collagen function every year, but, of course, ED mainly affects older people.
“What makes Vertica different from other treatments, it is the only one that rejuvenates and rehabilitates the collagen and elastin fibres and prevents the blood that enters the blood vessels from leaking out. Subscription-based medicines do not treat the root of the problem only the symptom, but Vertica does.
“Vertica also enables for spontaneity, improves male self-esteem and confidence and a man can use it from the comfort of his own time at home.”
Vertica is now being trialled at UCI Health, a leading research centre based in California – the first Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical study for Vertica in the US.
Lischinsky added: “This represents a significant milestone for us. The launch of the clinical trial at UCI to determine the efficacy of our Vertica device is a major step to receiving FDA clearance.”