The FDA recently approved the first female sex-boosting drug called flibanserin — marketed as Addyi — which is for women who suffer from an extremely low libido and who are premenopausal. It’s also for those who are diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Valeant bought the pink pill from Sprout Pharmaceuticals for around $1 billion. Touted as being the “wonder drug” for women, it actually comes with several drawbacks in regards to its effectiveness and side effects. And to make matters even more controversial, Addyi was given the nickname female Viagra – giving consumers the impression that it acts like the male sex-enhancement drug Viagra – instant gratification upon taking.
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Approval
Rejected twice, seems like third time is a charm for the pink pill. Flibanserin was first rejected in 2010 because of the lack of benefits compared to its negative side effects. Moving forward, Sprout completed a study of sexual desire using various methods to achieve a statistical significance. Safety studies were also conducted and the drug’s risks are outlined on the label. In June an outside panel of experts voted 18-6, recommending for the FDA to approve the drug with precautions.
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Mechanism of Action
First off, Addyi’s mechanism of action is not like Viagra because Viagra works by increasing the blood flow to the penis and Addyi acts on neurotransmitters in the brain. It’s similar to that of an antidepressant. And unknown to most, flibanserin failed as an antidepressant on mice where it was to act on serotonin via multiple pathways — hoping to increase dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Also, only one in ten women are going to benefit from taking the little pink pill, and it has to be taken every day – peak effects witnessed until eight weeks.
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Side Effects
Addyi is to be taken at night and it has adverse side effects such as dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, and dry mouth. If you’re considering taking this drug first consult with your doctor because you may have a condition that can make the side effects worse. It’s also recommended to not consume alcohol while taking the drug because the risk of fainting can be increased. So ladies you may want to forgo happy hour.
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Long-Term Risks
As of right now there isn’t any information pertaining to long-term risks. Typically new drugs are based off of short-term studies, and it’s watched to see if it’s tolerable or not.
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Is It Effective?
As mentioned earlier, the drug only works for one of every ten women. In one of the trials before taking the pink pill, it was found that women were experiencing 2.7 “sexually satisfying events” each month – with or without orgasm. When women were given the placebo, their satisfaction rose to 3.7, and when they took flibanserin it increased to 4.5 per month – potentially with no orgasm. There was a 0.8 difference between the placebo and fliberansin, so is it really that effective?
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Cost
The price is still yet to be determined, and it most likely won’t be covered by major drug insurance plans. Experts believe that the pink pill will fall into the “non-preferred tier,” indicating that the co-pay will be from $75-100 a month.
The FDA recently approved the first female sex-boosting drug called flibanserin — marketed as Addyi — which is for women who suffer from an extremely low libido and who are premenopausal. It’s also for those who are diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Valeant bought the pink pill from Sprout Pharmaceuticals for around $1 billion. Touted as being the “wonder drug” for women, it actually comes with several drawbacks in regards to its effectiveness and side effects. And to make matters even more controversial, Addyi was given the nickname female Viagra – giving consumers the impression that it acts like the male sex-enhancement drug Viagra – instant gratification upon taking.
Approval
Rejected twice, seems like third time is a charm for the pink pill. Flibanserin was first rejected in 2010 because of the lack of benefits compared to its negative side effects. Moving forward, Sprout completed a study of sexual desire using various methods to achieve a statistical significance. Safety studies were also conducted and the drug’s risks are outlined on the label. In June an outside panel of experts voted 18-6, recommending for the FDA to approve the drug with precautions.
Mechanism of Action
First off, Addyi’s mechanism of action is not like Viagra because Viagra works by increasing the blood flow to the penis and Addyi acts on neurotransmitters in the brain. It’s similar to that of an antidepressant. And unknown to most, flibanserin failed as an antidepressant on mice where it was to act on serotonin via multiple pathways — hoping to increase dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Also, only one in ten women are going to benefit from taking the little pink pill, and it has to be taken every day – peak effects witnessed until eight weeks.
Side Effects
Addyi is to be taken at night and it has adverse side effects such as dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, and dry mouth. If you’re considering taking this drug first consult with your doctor because you may have a condition that can make the side effects worse. It’s also recommended to not consume alcohol while taking the drug because the risk of fainting can be increased. So ladies you may want to forgo happy hour.
Long-Term Risks
As of right now there isn’t any information pertaining to long-term risks. Typically new drugs are based off of short-term studies, and it’s watched to see if it’s tolerable or not.
Is It Effective?
As mentioned earlier, the drug only works for one of every ten women. In one of the trials before taking the pink pill, it was found that women were experiencing 2.7 “sexually satisfying events” each month – with or without orgasm. When women were given the placebo, their satisfaction rose to 3.7, and when they took flibanserin it increased to 4.5 per month – potentially with no orgasm. There was a 0.8 difference between the placebo and fliberansin, so is it really that effective?
Cost
The price is still yet to be determined, and it most likely won’t be covered by major drug insurance plans. Experts believe that the pink pill will fall into the “non-preferred tier,” indicating that the co-pay will be from $75-100 a month.
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