
An angry debate has erupted between those who argue that women should have the right to take the pill and those who question the science behind it.
After a decade of development the Food and Drug Administration has signed off on a new drug that would boost the female libido — the “female Viagra.”
The drug is called flibanserin and it would increase the sexual satisfaction in women, according to an Al Jazeera report.
An FDA advisory panel approved the pill last week, even though it had been rejected two previous times by the agency. The FDA now has until Aug. 18 to come to a final decision on the issue.
This “little pink pill” has been the center of a great deal of controversy. While many argue that the drug should have been approved years ago, but others argue whether sexual dysfunction in women is really all that common, or if it’s even safe to use the durg.
Viagra created a huge marketing sensation back in the 1990s when it was approved for treating erectile dysfunction caused by blood flow issues. But that drug treated what is basically a mechanical problem, not a problem with sexual desire. Flibanserin, on the other hand, was originally meant to be an antidepressant, so rather than being an equivalent to “the little blue pill,” flibanserin is an entirely new class of drug that would be the first sexual desire pill ever released.
Sprout Pharmaceuticals makes the pill, and it purchased the rights to the drug despite the FDA rejecting it unanimously over safety concerns. However, the company persisted and raised $50 million from investors to develop and market it.
Women’s rights advocates are hailing the decision as a breakthrough not seen since “the pill” was approved back in the 1960s. Some have even gone as far as accusing the FDA of being sexist for rejecting the bill before — but those who work in the scientific field of sexual health argue that equality for women is not a reason to approve a harmful drug. and that the issue is being harmfully politicized.
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