Bismarck Pharmacist Partners with Mayo Clinic | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 7/1/2012

A Bismarck pharmacist has teamed up with Mayo Clinic for a clinical trial. Mike Riepl says Mayo Clinic contacted him last summer to develop a bioadhesive gel that uses DHEA, a hormone already produced by the body, that could be inserted into the vagina. Riepl says the gel is geared toward post-menopausal women to treat vaginal dryness and for women experiencing pain during sex.

"There are studies, published studies out there showing that vaginally-administered DHEA will normalize the vaginal tract without increasing any sex steroid levels in the blood," said Riepl, a registered pharmacist at Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy.

While this is an FDA-approved trial, Riepl says it`s important to note that the FDA has not approved DHEA for this purpose. The two-year study ends next year.

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