THERAPEUTIC AREAS

Andrology

Andrology is a part of health care that deals with the diseases of the male reproductive system including urology and ageing specificities.

services

innovation

Definition

Andrology deals with the diseases of the male reproductive system (prostate, testes, scrotum, and penis). In common usage, andrology pertains to men just as gynecology to women. Traditionally associated with male infertility and erectile dysfunction, the term has been expanded to encompass all aspects of male reproductive health, including sexual differentiation, hypogonadism, male contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual health, and male aging. Andrology is part of men’s health specialties that also include urology and ageing specificities. Andrology is recognized as both a medical and surgical specialty.

Epidemiology

Over 20% of cases of infertility are entirely due to a male factor, with an additional 35% of cases involving both male and female factors. About 7% of men suffer from infertility and in about 50% of cases, the reason is idiopathic. Prevalence of testosterone deficiency increases by as much as 18% in seniors and the prevalence of erectile dysfunction rises between 20% and 50% between the ages of 50 and 70. Men’s health is a huge domain which considers various factors such as the impact of lifestyle and diet on metabolism, obesity, osteoporosis, cardio-vascular risks, and sexual health.

Medical need

Future challenges in andrology include development of male contraceptives, improvement of knowledge in both diagnosing and treating male infertility, combating sexually transmitted diseases, and health problems of the ageing male.

Urosphere’s positioning

Urosphere has developed several tools and preclinical models in andrology such as models for studying erectile dysfunction, prostatitis, and benign prostate hyperplasia. In partnership with the University of Toulouse III, the IRSD and Hospitals of Toulouse, we are developing new preclinical models to test new treatments for male infertility and contraception and to better understand organ biology in general.

associated project

Urosphere has established a partnership with the University of Toulouse III- Paul Sabatier (France) and the Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (irsd, France) to develop organoids from the male genital tract to study infertility and the physiology of reproduction.

ORHUMAN

Our Services & Innovation

Urosphere’s experimental platform consists of both in vivo and in vitro pharmacological assays. We also provide access to a unique biobank of PDX preclinical models from urogenital cancers.

Finally, Urophere offers consultancy services for the preclinical development of your compounds.