This is the accepted manuscript on the results of the trials for using "Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum" (Xiaflex) for the treatment of Peyronie's. I have not read it but from reading the abstract the results do not seem that encouraging. To take one metric (perhaps not the most important one); patients in the active group showed 34% improvement in curvature compared with 18% in the control group. I am not a statistician but I do not think a 16% difference is significant in this context. This, however, is a crude opinion based on reading the abstract alone.
Was a long debate on the forum regarding the results of the Xiaflex trial.
From one side, the results are somehow disappointing, from the other side if it will help a X% of the Peyronies sufferers, it be will worth the treatment.
James
James also remember it may help x%, but also we have to remember it may make y% worse. The drug companies try to distract you from this fact, often successfully, by categorizing people who ended up worse as part of the "showed no improvement" group. Really what we want to know is: who got better, who showed no change, who got worse. But they avoid disclosing who got worse because it is not good for business.
I just read a few pages, but it indicates six subjects experienced treatment-related serious AEs (adverse events); 3 corporal ruptures and 3 penile hematomas.
Sadly I bet some these guys now regret taking part in the study. And as I mentioned before, this drug does not sound like a safe option at this point in time. It is quite possible, in the right hands, surgery is a more prudent solution. I hope I am proven wrong at some point in the future though.
I fairness the hematomas are not an issue in and of themselves since they are a temporary condition during the process. The only things important to know is like you stated. In the final analysis how many:
Improved
remained unchanged
got worse