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A committee of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are meeting to consider whether the FDA should approve the first drug that aims to boost a woman's libido:
The FDA has twice before rejected the drug, called flibanserin, after previous advisory panels concluded there were questions about its safety and insufficient evidence that the drug was effective for women with low sex drives. Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which makes flibanserin, has submitted more research that the company hopes will finally convince the advisers and the agency the drug is ready for the market. The company's evidence includes a study it says shows women can safely drive after using the medication. One concern about the drug is that it can leave women drowsy the day after taking it, increasing the risks for accidents. "The review of flibanserin... represents a critical milestone for the millions of American women and couples who live with the distress of this life-impacting condition without a single approved medical treatment today," Cindy Whitehead, Sprout's CEO, said in a statement before the hearing began.
Flibanserin, which the company plans to sell under the brand name Addyi if approved, shifts the balance of three key brain chemicals, increasing dopamine and norepinephrine and decreasing serotonin.
The drug has long been the focus of an intense debate. The company and some advocacy groups, including the National Organization for Women and Even the Score, have suggested that the FDA is being sexist by holding the drug to a higher standard than drugs, such as Viagra and Cialis, for male sexual problems. The FDA denies those charges. In documents posted online in advance of the hearing, Hylton Joffe, director of the FDA's Division of Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Products, said that such claims "are misleading and inaccurate." "The FDA rejects claims of gender bias," Joffe wrote. "The FDA's regulatory decision for each product is based on an assessment of whether the benefits outweigh the risks, and does not take gender into consideration." Many women's health advocates agree with the agency's caution and remain opposed to the drug despite the company's new research.
Original Submission
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @01:02PM
We soak women already with THE pill. Let's tune down men's much higher libido?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by GungnirSniper on Friday June 05 2015, @01:19PM
As far as I know, the only way to do that is to lower testosterone, which would have the effect of lowering muscle mass, sexual and professional drive, and increasing weight gain, diabetes risk, and depression.
I think we need to get away from the ideal of flawless monogamy and have open relationships. It's possible to love someone and still fornicate with another. The sexual attraction typically will fade, while the love for the life partner continues. After all, what woman doesn't close down once she's permanently with someone?
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by curunir_wolf on Friday June 05 2015, @01:45PM
Maybe instead they should just do like the Greeks, and train men to learn to enjoy sex with each other.
I am a crackpot
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Saturday June 06 2015, @02:21AM
That would be the end of the h man race.
(Score: 1, Redundant) by morgauxo on Friday June 05 2015, @01:26PM
Wow, I bet you have a happy partner.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @01:33PM
It's called marriage.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @04:50PM
We soak women already with THE pill.
That's the women who decide to take the pill themselves you fucking moron. If there is anyone who is coerced to take drugs against their will then that's illegal and you should report it to the police, otherwise it's none of your goddamn business when other people are doing it. I wish people would stop blaming all of their problems and poor decisions on the "patriarchy" or whatever else is the favorite scarecrow alien abduction bullshit of the week.
Let's tune down men's much higher libido
We already have the "technology" to do that. It's called masturbation.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday June 05 2015, @04:59PM
That guy didn't actually say any of the things you're yelling at him about.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @07:15PM
His wording shifts responsibility from the women to the unstated "we" who "shower women" with this type of drug. One would naturally assume that "we" means "society" given the context and typical English language conventions, so the statement becomes "society already showers women in the pill", which is a load of crap.