On Tuesday, August 18th, the FDA approved a drug that has incorrectly been dubbed the “female Viagra.” Addyi, as the little pink pill would be branded as, is intended to help women who suffer from Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder.
Here’s what we know about the drug so far:
1. The benefits outweigh the side effects
According to the FDA, the possibility of improving a woman’s life even by the slightest percent outweighs the potential side effects, like fainting, dizziness and nausea. In an effort to curb and control the impact of the side effects, the pill will be heavily regulated.
2. It’ll be priced similarly to Viagra
Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that owns the rights to Addyi, confirmed that they would price close to Viagra’s price.
3. It’s not a “female Viagra”
The difference between Viagra and Addyi can be clearly illustrated in the instances it has to be taken. Viagra is taken in the exact moment when a man wants to elicit a physical reaction to become sexually aroused. Addyi, on the other hand, would require daily consumption so that over time the increase in serotonin in a woman’s brain would make it possible for her mind to tell her body to become sexually aroused.
4. It’s not approved for everyone…yet
Addyi was approved by the FDA for premenopausal women, but a doctor told the New York Times that she wouldn’t object to prescribing it to postmenopausal women as well. Nonetheless, the next step for Sprout is to get it officially approved for postmenopausal women.
What will happened with Addyi in the future? Only time will tell.
Cover image courtesy of the Associated Press.
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