FDA Disapproves the “Pink Viagra” Pill Flibanserin
There has been a lot of buzz in the news lately about female Viagra, aka pink Viagra. A German pharmaceutical company, Boehringer, developed a medicine called flibanserin, which has shown promise in “treating” sexual dysfunction in women.
Flibanserin was initially developed as an antidepressant, but in later studies it was fairly successful in treating Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), which is characterized by the decrease or loss of sexual fantasies and desire in women for a period of time. Unlike Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction in men by improving the man’s physical sexual ability, flibanserin works on the woman’s mind and improves her mood.
Watch the following CBS report for more information about HSDD and this new pill.
But don’t get too excited about this! An expert panel at the FDA has already voted against flibanserin. The following CBS video report has more about this decision.
That’s just another “female Viagra” pill (added to a few dozens more) that gets a ‘No’ from the FDA. There should definitely be more attempts by drug makers in the future to come up with a feminine Viagra counterpart, but will there ever be such a drug with its benefits outweighing its side effects? Let’s keep watching.
Customs in Dubai Seize Millions of Spurious Viagra Pills
About seven million inauthentic and illegal drug pills were seized by Dubai Customs when UAE authorities raided a warehouse in the Dry Port in Dubai.
The seized medicines included Viagra, Levitra, and other sexual medications and supplements, which were found to be fake and illegally manufactured.
This is not the first, and most likely not the last, time that fake Viagra shipments and stocks get seized by authorities in different countries and ports around the world.
The pharmaceutical industry is very lucrative and active worldwide and that is a strong motive for drug counterfeiters to keep making and pushing their illegal copies of legitimate medications. Customs and health authorities in all countries always try their best to combat and stop fake medicines before they reach the end user, but it’s also the consumer’s responsibility to always talk to their doctor before buying or taking a new medicine, and to purchase the medicine from a reputable, certified drugstore.
Priligy: The Premature Ejaculation Pill Now Available in the UK
Priligy (dapoxetine hydrochloride) is the first approved medication for premature ejaculation in men. It is available in many European countries and has recently been launched in the UK. The medicine is still in approval process by the FDA and is expected to be available in the United States soon.
This treatment was originally developed by Eli Lilly and Company (Cialis maker) to be used as an antidepressant. In 2003, Johnson & Johnson bought the patent from Lilly for $65M, and continued to develop the drug for the treatment of premature ejaculation.
Premature ejaculation, or rapid ejaculation, is a condition that affects many men who have poor control over their climax during intercourse, which results in early ejaculation and end of sexual urge for the male partner. Priligy gives hope to men suffering from PE and can help them enjoy long lasting action in bed.
Priligy is sold as 30mg and 60mg oral doses, priced at about £25 ($38) per tablet. The medication is available to men aged 18-64 who have a valid prescription from their doctor.
A New Topical Testosterone Enhancer by Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of the popular erectile dysfunction drug Cialis (tadalafil), has signed an exclusive worldwide license to market and sell a new testosterone enhancement drug called Axiron. The drug, which is still in experimental and review stages, was developed by Acrux Ltd, an Australian biotech company focused on developing transdermal drug delivery systems (the administration of medicine through the skin). Axiron will be available as a lotion or a patch.
Men who suffer from low libido as a result of low testosterone levels will benefit from Axiron, which can boost their testosterone to a normal level and help them enjoy better sex drive and improved erectile function.
The drug was submitted by Lilly for FDA approval and global marketing authorization. If approved, Axiron will enter the highly competitive, $1 billion market of testosterone therapies.
About 40% of men aged 45 and older suffer from some degree of testosterone deficiency, which results in weakened sexual ability. This new medicine will add a new option for low testosterone patients who are usually prescribed rub-on gels, patches, or intramuscular injections.
Pfizer to Launch an Over-The-Counter Version of Viagra
Viagra developer and manufacturer, Pfizer Inc, is planning on launching a new, non-prescription version of its blockbuster anti-impotence drug, Viagra (sildenafil citrate). The new medicine, which does not have a name yet, is expected to be available in 2011. This new product comes just in the perfect time, since Pfizer’s U.S. patent on Viagra expires in 2012, after which the “much cheaper” generic versions of Viagra are expected to take over.
The new product contains revised ingredients (some of which are also found in Viagra) that make it safe and available for use without a prescription, i.e. anyone will be able to buy it over the counter without seeing a doctor.
Pfizer has always been trying to make their in-demand ED drug as easily obtainable as possible, even if it was at the expense of the patient’s health. In fact, Pfizer has already sought to make Viagra available over the counter in Europe in 2007. However, they withdrew the application after the European Medicines Agency objected to the bid due to the potential health risks of Viagra, and to prevent increased misuse of this medication.
So, will this new ED treatment replace Viagra? Well, it will all come down to results. Even though OTC drugs are generally less effective than prescription-only ones, Pfizer may be cooking some “big” surprises in this new product. We will be following and posting updates on this story.
The Quest for Decent Female Viagra Continues
For most men, making love is a mere mechanical process that only requires a rigid erection. That’s why male sexual dysfunction can be effectively treated with a pill, like Viagra.
But for women, sexual dysfunction is more complicated and requires more than just a drug to deal with. Common sexual dysfunctions in women, e.g. low libido, are usually caused by psychological factors that no medication has yet been clinically proven to address effectively.
While some drugs, like the famous Viagra, are being prescribed off-label to women who suffer from sexual difficulties, there’s no medication that is approved by the FDA as a “female Viagra”.
Many pharmaceutical companies around the world are still in search for a female counterpart of Viagra, but until something is proven to solidly work (if any), women can discuss their sexual problems with their doctor and/or partner to work things out.
In the following video, Dr. Jennifer Ashton speaks to CBS HealthWatch about Flibanserin, an antidepressant drugs that could be the long-waited-for female libido booster.
Zydena (Udenafil) Undergoes U.S. Trials
Udenafil is a new oral treatment for erectile dysfunction developed by the Korean Dong-A PharmTech Co. Ltd. This new medication has entered phase III trials in the United States.
Udenafil is a long-lasting PDE-5 inhibitor, and so it works in the same mechanism as Viagra, i.e. it relaxes blood vessels and allows more blood to flow to the genitals, which improves the man’s ability to achieve and maintain a firm erection during sexual arousal.
This drug is already approved and marketed under the brand name Zydena in some countries, including Korea and Russia. Dong-A is crossing fingers that in a couple of years they will be granted marketing authorization for Udenafil in the US and EU.
If it gets approved by the FDA, Zydena (Udenafil) will become the fourth prescription treatment option for ED patients that will compete with Viagra (sildenafil citrate), Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil). More competition is always in favor of consumers who get more options, from which they can choose what is best for them in terms of results, safety, and price (after consulting a doctor, of course).
Generic Lipitor Will Soon Become Official
The Pfizer-made, blockbuster cholesterol-lowering pill, Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), will soon be available in generic versions made by different pharmaceutical companies worldwide.
Lipitor is the top selling medication with millions of patients using it worldwide. It is unfortunate for Pfizer (developer and manufacturer of Lipitor) that their U.S. patent on this drug expires in the upcoming 2010.
Other drug makers are thronging to get U.S. marketing approval for their generic copies of Lipitor. Dr. Reddy’s (a giant Indian pharmaceutical company) has filed for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their generic version of Lipitor.
This is great news for Lipitor consumers, because the more competition there is, the lower the prices get.
A Shipment of Thousands of Fake Viagra Pills Seized in Miami
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Miami International Airport confiscated 21,600 counterfeit Viagra tablets (about 50 pounds of the little blue pills).
The shipment was seized on Oct 9, and was coming from India, where many illegal, fake drug manufacturers operate.
Samples of the pills were sent to a lab for testing, which confirmed that the pills were not genuine Pfizer made Viagra, nor anything close to it, i.e. the pills were meant to rip off ignorant consumers.
This is not the first, and will not be the last time that such shipments of bogus drugs are seized. Customers who purchase Viagra online, or from an unlicensed local retailer without a prescription usually fall a victim to bad people (or criminals) who traffic fake Viagra.
Pfizer Canada Launches a New Viagra “Confession” Commercial
The new Pfizer Canada ad for Viagra, created by Taxi Canada, shows a wife busy with redecoration while the husband confesses: “Redecorating was ruining our lives…”
But what does redecorating have to do with Viagra? Well, market research showed that many couples who lack intimacy fill it up with redecoration instead. “So I tried Viagra, and my redecorating practically disappeared,” the husband concludes.
However, what the ad suggests is not always true. Viagra cannot create intimacy or love for you. The drug can only help with the “mechanical” part of love, but to have closeness back in your relationship you have to do more than just pop a pill. You have to sit down, talk, listen, care, do, change, etc.
Anyway, here’s my personal opinion of this new commercial:
Funny: No.
Creative: Not really.
Makes sense: Only to those who do not know what love is.
I think Pfizer has had/can do better commercials than this one. Anyway, please watch the video below and write your own opinion/comment about it.