The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to treat low sexual drive in women, the only one besides Addyi, which entered the market in 2015.[NEW YORK] The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to treat low sexual drive in women, the only one besides Addyi, which entered the market in 2015.
For years, the FDA has been under pressure to encourage more treatments for women with low sexual drive — a condition known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Medications for men experiencing erectile dysfunction arrived on the market two decades ago.But these treatments for women have provoked controversy. The first product, Addyi, was approved amid an industry-backed publicity campaign painting detractors as sexist. But some opponents argued its risks outweighed its benefits.
Vyleesi, also known as bremelanotide, has some advantages over Addyi. It is to be used only before sex and can be taken with alcohol. But the drug also has drawbacks — it does involve needle injections, and in clinical trials, 40 per cent experienced nausea after taking it. In all, 18 per cent of women dropped out of the trial, including 8 per cent who stopped participating because of nausea.