'Female Viagra' Will Be on the Market in October

Flibanserin wins the approval of the FDA
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 18, 2015 6:10 PM CDT
'Female Viagra' Will Be on the Market in October
A tablet of flibanserin sits on a brochure for Sprout Pharmaceuticals in the company's Raleigh, N.C., headquarters.   (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

The FDA approved a drug called flibanserin today, and the Washington Post explains the big deal: "The little pink pill has finally arrived." That is, the FDA gave its blessing to a drug commonly referred to as the female Viagra, the first one ever designed to boost the libido of women. Maker Sprout Pharmaceuticals expects to make it available via prescription under the name of Addyi as early as Oct. 17, but it will hold off on advertising for at least 18 months.

Advocates say it's about time given that men have had their little blue bill for nearly two decades. But Vox rounds up reasons to be skeptical about the drug, including the biggie that the FDA thinks it will work for only 8% to 13% of women—and those women will have an average of just 0.5 more "sexually satisfying events" per month. Then there's the side effects, which include dizziness and fainting. (More flibanserin stories.)

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