Pill to Treat Low Sex Drive in Women May Hear “Not Tonight”

Are the men who run big pharma trying to jack up the sex drive of women and get paid for it? That's one argument in a debate precipitated by efforts of German pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim GMBH to bring to market a new drug for treating "low sex drive" in women. But is that low sex drive in women as defined by men, or as defined by women? It's a sticky situation, as Bonnie Raitt might say. And it's one that may come to an end that is unrewarding for all: the Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA, whose approval of the drug, flibanserin, is required, has found that the "overall response rate…is not particularly compelling."  The agency said 30 percent to 40 percent of women being treated
with flibanserin had a response rate–a measure that included an
increase number of satisfactory sexual events– compared to 15 percent to 30 percent
of women in the placebo group. The agency said the responder rates in
the flibanserin group were "only 3 percent to 15 percent greater than those in the
placebo arm." The journal reports that flibanserin will be formally reviewed Friday by the FDA's Reproductive Health
Drugs Advisory Committee.

Read more in the Wall Street Journal.