Survey finds many women anticipating approval of new libido prescription

NEW YORK — As many as four-in-five women would be willing to take a daily pill to improve libido, according to a survey by consumer healthcare insights company Treato, conducted in anticipation of a mid-August FDA approval for Addyi (flibanserin), a female version of Viagra sponsored by Sprout Pharmaceuticals. 

 

In addition, 68% of female survey participants felt that they had been discriminated against in how long it has taken to create of a female equivalent to Viagra, which has been on the market since 1998. 

 

Physicians are likely to see a demand for flibanserin, as 73% of female survey participants said they were likely to discuss low sex drive with a doctor. Although it's often compared to Pfizer's Viagra, flibanserin targets neurotransmitters that affect mood, making it more similar to SSRI’s.

 

“Because flibanserin acts on a woman’s mood rather than a specific physiological process, its efficacy is more difficult to judge,” wrote David Noble, content associate at Treato in a blog post. “In a clinical trial, women who took the drug reported having an average of 4.4 satisfying sexual experiences in a month, compared with 3.7 for women in the placebo group. However, medical experts are struggling to agree on whether or not these results outweigh flibanserin’s possible side effects, which include sleepiness, nausea, dizziness and fainting,” he noted, adding that women who might take the drug upon approval have the side effects in mind, too. 

 

In addition to the survey, Treato compiled and analyzed thousands of online conversations happening about "Pink Viagra." The top concerns being discussed online by women interested in taking the medication were tiredness, headaches and drowsiness. Popular topics being discussed online in connection to the medication were depression and menopause, which can both can also cause low sex drive.

 

“Analyzing online patient conversations is a key resource in understanding the unmet needs of a population,” Treato CEO  Ido Hadari said. “Through our collected insights, it became clear that an overwhelming majority of women want access to a female version of Viagra. This is a huge market opportunity for pharma and healthcare advocates as well a significant opportunity to improve female consumers quality of life.”

 

Sprout Pharmaceuticals acquired the rights to flibanserin after development of the treatment was halted by Boehringer Ingelheim in 2010 following a negative evaluation by FDA.