WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration today approved the drug flibanserin, aka "Viagra for women" and “the little pink pill.”
The Washington Post reports that flibanserin will be marketed as Addyi and will be available by prescription for pre-menopausal women diagnosed with chronic and distressingly low sexual desire as soon as Oct. 17.
The pill’s manufacturer Sprout Pharmaceuticals says it will not advertise the pill directly to consumers for 18 months “to avoid creating a clamor for the new drug.”
Sprout Pharmaceuticals had launched the Even the Score campaign that was backed by women’s groups such as the National Council of Women’s Organizations, the Black Women’s Health Imperative and Jewish Women International, accusing the FDA of gender bias for approving Viagra and 25 other drugs to help men stay erect, while no such drugs improving sex lives were given the green light for women.
Reacting to the news, sexpert Dr. Ava Cadell told XBIZ about how “the little pink pill” works.
“I am fascinated by the way this pill works between a woman’s ears, before it works between her legs,” Cadell said. “Countless women suffer from anxiety and depression due to many sexual dysfunctions, so if flibanserin can help even one woman get her mojo back, I fully support it.
“Far different from Viagra, which increases blood flow to the genitals, the ‘female Viagra’ affects the brain, specifically the message-carrying chemicals dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. This kind of ‘neuro-sexology’ research is very exciting, as the clinical trials have been proven to improve the sex lives of many women.”
