Female Viagra drug Flibanserin on the cusp of FDA approval

Since Pfizer’s male impotence wonder drug Viagra first burst onto the scene an incredible 17 years ago, it was subsequently joined by Eli Lily’s Cialis and Bayer’s Levitra by 2003.

Over the next 12 years the industry has witnessed variations on these such as the lower-strength Cialis Daily tablets for the more ‘active’ male and Levitra orodispersible tablets – especially suitable for men who aren’t comfortable with swallowing pills, wanting to take it with some discretion and without the requirement of a glass of water.

Men also have the options of the newer erectile dysfunction treatment Spedra (Avanafil) or Vitaros cream – ideal for men that have not experienced success with the aforementioned PDE5 inhibitor tablets or cannot take PDE5s for medical reasons.

If all that wasn’t enough choice, men suffering with premature ejaculation have over-the-counter premature ejaculation treatments such as Stud 100 Spray, condoms containing benzocaine like Durex Performa (to prolong climax), whilst there is also prescription medication such as Priligy, which is taken orally and works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.
Simply put, men are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the right treatment option for sexual dysfunction, whether this be for persistent impotence or premature ejaculation problems.

So, what is there for women? If Medical Specialists® Pharmacy were to quiz our thousands of patients to come up with the name of an existing female sexual dysfunction treatment, we’d be surprised if anyone could muster a reply.

In early 2014 Medical Specialists® reported how British pharmaceutical company ORLIBID were developing a drug tentatively titled ‘ORL101’, aimed at boosting a woman’s sex drive, however no further information has been released about ORL101 since then.

However, Medical Specialists® are delighted to announce that a new pill to boost a woman’s libido could be one step closer after US experts gave its endorsement. This will be fantastic news for those that have fought for women’s sex drives to get a similar medical attention to deal put into it as the male treatments.

A panel of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers decided to vote 18-6 in favour of recommending flibanserin, a daily pill nicknamed the ‘female Viagra’ and manufactured by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, who picked up the drug back in 2011 after its initial developer, Boehringer Ingelheim, decided to drop it.

The vote came following a testimony from various women who vigorously persuaded the agency to approve the drug and told of their fear of never being able to have sex again. The final judgement of course will have to come from the FDA themselves, with a verdict on suitability for public use due later this year.

Coincidentally, flibanserin, just like the discovery of Viagra, was an unintended find. The drug was firstly developed with the intention of treating depression, but wasn’t as effective for this purpose as expected.

Many of the 11,000 women involved in the trials did note that they were experiencing some rather unexpected side effects from the flibanserin. Increased sexual interest and overall, more satisfying sexual experiences than previous, were being commonly reported.

North Carolina drug maker Sprout Pharmaceuticals, have claimed that their clinical trials have demonstrated that women have experienced a 37% rise in sexual desire in comparison to a placebo. The women reported an average of between 0.5 and one more sexually satisfying events each month, compared to those women taking a placebo. In addition, they had higher scores on questionnaires on desire and scored lower on questions about stress.

The drug – which changes brain chemistry as opposed to Viagra increasing blood flow – isn’t without a chequered history though, with the FDA twice rejecting the drug since 2010, arguing flibanserin’s benefits did not outweigh the risks, which can include low blood pressure and fainting spells.

However, Susan Scanlan, chairwoman of Even The Score, hit back and noted that Viagra can have varying side effects, arguing that the FDA hasn’t approved flibanserin because of their discomfort with women taking control over their sexuality. “The implication is that men can be trusted to make a rational decision of risk versus reward and women can’t,” she said.

The FDA has highlighted female sexual dysfunction as one of 20 priority areas of unmet medical need, and is obviously a major and genuine health problem that needs to be addressed.

Keep checking the Medical Specialists® NHS Pharmacy website for further updates about flibanserin or other female sexual dysfunction products that may become available in the future, and we already have an extension range of male impotence and premature ejaculation treatments, some of which were mentioned earlier.

Baby All I Want for Christmas…is More of You!

Mel Gibson inadvertently developed the powers to understand ‘What women want’ in the 2000 film following an electric shock in the bath. However, for the rest of the male population, getting inside the complex thoughts of women to get a grasp on what they are thinking and indeed what they want, can be an impossible task that even Einstein himself wouldn’t be able to figure out.

With this in mind, and the fact that there is now only a month to go until Christmas day, Medical Specialists® Pharmacy thought we would try to find out some of the things women actually want, whether this be from their partner in the bedroom, or simply an aesthetic improvement to make them feel more desirable.

. 72% say they want longer foreplay

Men are sometimes described as being like ‘dogs on heat’ and it seems his red-bloodedness transpires into the bedroom, with nearly three-quarters of women complaining that the whole process of sex is over far too quickly and there isn’t enough foreplay. Women don’t’ want a ‘wham bam thank you maam’ type of quickie, so men if you want to make sex enjoyable for her then you better make it worthwhile for her. After all, the more enjoyable and pleasurable it is on the whole, the more likely she is to orgasm!

. 59% say they want their man to last longer in bed

It seems foreplay alone isn’t the only way men are coming up short in the bedroom. The actual sex itself seems to be over far too soon for more than half of the women Medical Specialists® questioned. Exactly what constitutes a ‘normal’ duration for sex can vary between couples, but the average time between penetration and ejaculation is generally believed to be around five-and-a-half minutes. Men that are ejaculating less than two minutes after penetration on a regular basis would probably be classed as suffering with premature ejaculation, and would be wise to consider premature ejaculation treatments such as Priligy and Stud 100 spray. Women, why not slip some Durex Performa condoms into his Christmas stocking this year, they have a special Benzocaine cream inside the teat end of the condom to help control climax and prolong sexual excitement for longer lasting lovemaking…so you will both benefit!

. 67% want their man to have stronger erections

Guys it might be time to consider the effects that alcohol, cigarettes and a poor diet are doing to your body, as two thirds of women are not satisfied with their partner’s erections, according to our survey. There are certain foods that may help with better erections, but a persistent trouble achieving and sustain an erection satisfactory for intercourse may be a sign of erectile dysfunction, treatable through medications such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Spedra and finally Vitaros cream for those who do not want to, or are unable to take tablets.

. 88% highlight sense of humour as being important

Ask any woman what they look for in a man and “a good sense of humour” will be one of the first things to come out of their mouth, and indeed laughter is the key a successful relationship for nearly 9 in 10 women in our survey. Men that doesn’t mean you have to necessarily be the life of the party or have to be drunk, sarcastic or insulting. Remember that a little self-deprecating humour can actually seem endearing to a woman, as it can show the man has a vulnerable/sensitive side – but don’t overdo it, this can come across as a lack of confidence!

. 78% of women would like to lose weight

This may not be a surprising statistic considering that research earlier this year published in published in The Lancet medical journal found that young women in the UK can have the unwanted claim to be fatter than anywhere else in western Europe; 1 in 12 are clinically obese. By the year 2050, the prevalence of obesity is expected to spread to 60% of adult men and 50% of adult women. Christmas is a time many of us will really pile on the pounds so perhaps guys this is the time to treat her to a gym membership or inform her about Medical Specialists’® range of fantastic weight loss treatments – without being overly insulting of course!

. 84% of women would like to receive more compliments

As we have mentioned previously, humour is important in gaining her affections, however paying her compliments can be just as crucial in any relationship. If she looks beautiful fellas, then let her know! “You look gorgeous” or “that dress really suits you” might seem like nothing to you, but to woman it could be a huge confidence boost. If her earrings happen to look good with the top she is wearing, tell her! After all, many women put a great deal of effort into choosing outfits and they will appreciate the fact their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Compliments can extend beyond physical features however, if her culinary skills or professionalism at work are impressive, tell her so!

And finally…The survey found that 81% of the unmarried women in relationships want their man to put a ring on their finger! Unfortunately, Medical Specialists® can’t help with this one – the only rings we provide are Durex Play vibration rings…Guaranteed to give you both 20 minutes of quivering pleasure, but not that all important walk down the aisle!

Medical Specialists™ now offer exciting ‘second generation’ impotence treatment Spedra

Since the release of Pfizer’s Viagra way back in 1998, men across the globe suffering from the common condition known as erectile dysfunction (ED) have been spoilt for choice with regards to treatment options.

Sildenafil citrate – marketed as Viagra – was subsequently joined by Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), followed by variations such as the Cialis Daily tablets and Levitra ODT (Orodispersible). And now the ED market finally welcomes an exciting new addition to its vast array of treatments, in the form of Spedra (avanafil).

Spedra is available today from Medical Specialiasts™ Pharmacy, priced from as little as £23.17 for 4 x 50mg tablets. No prescription? No worry…Our in-house Doctors will write a prescription for you, which is then dispensed by our in-house Pharmacists, and sent to you within 24 hours.

Menarini, a private company headquartered in Florence, are manufacturers of Spedra and are touting the new treatment as the very first ‘second-generation’ medication for ED. This is due to the fact patients within the clinical trials did not report back to have experienced some of the side effects associated with the other PDE-5 inhibitors, i.e. blurred vision or slight hearing loss.

Spedra has been shown to have an impressive success rate of 77% and is rapidly becoming well known for being the quickest acting male impotence treatment there is. Those being prescribed it for the first time may find they start on 100mg, but there are also 50mg and 200mg doses of the drug. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day. Like the other ED treatments, Spedra’s full effect is felt with prior sexual stimulation (foreplay) – just like you would engage in any way if you were not taking a medication for ED.

Taken orally, Spedra belongs in the same family of medicines as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. Just like the existing ED drugs, Spedra belongs to a class of medicines known as PDE-5 (Phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors and is suitable for men who have trouble getting or sustaining an erection for sexual intercourse.

Whereas the existing treatments can take anywhere between 25 minutes to an hour to take effect, clinical trials have demonstrated the impressive prowess of Spedra, which kicks-in with firm erections after just 15 minutes, according to many of the men participating in trials. The new treatment will shave vital minutes off compared to its counterparts, ideal for more ‘spur of the moment’ love making.

Spedra has been shown to remain effective for between four and five hours, a time duration similar to that of Viagra. It should be noted that this does not mean you will have an erection for between four and five hours, but that you will have ability to achieve improved erections that duration. Like other ED treatments, Spedra may take longer to become effective if taken following a large meal.