US approves the use of ‘Female Viagra’ on prescription

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally approved the use of a drug for women which has been nicknamed the ‘Female Viagra’.

Originally developed by a German company, the drug was turned down twice by the FDA but a determined female entrepreneur, Cindy Whitehead CEO of tiny US company Sprout, made an offer to buy the rights to the drug, which was accepted.

Whilst the official name is Flibanserin, the pills will be marketed under the name Addyi and it is planned that women should take the drug each night.

At the moment, it appears that the pills will only be available on prescription and the doctor involved will need to establish that the patient is suffering distress due to lack of sexual desire.

This may not have quite the same immediate effects as Viagra, as women tested reported between half and one more sexually satisfying event per month. But women’s rights group Even the Score backed the application as they believed that the FDA had displayed gender bias by approving a number of drugs treating erectile dysfunction in men without passing an equivalent for women.

Time will tell whether Addyi is successful and whether the company will itself ‘sprout’ and grow.