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.

Premature ejaculation can be improved with pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are normally suggested to women who are pregnant, or planning to get pregnant.  Such exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and lessen the risk of the woman experiencing urinary incontinence and reduced sensitivity during sex following the birth of their child. Strong pelvic floor muscles will result in increased sensitivity during sex and stronger orgasms as well.

However, new research has suggested that pelvic floor exercises can also help men – in particular those who are suffering from premature ejaculation problems.

Study data from Sapienza University of Rome was presented at the European Congress of Urology in Stockholm earlier this week, demonstrating how pelvic floor exercises can be effective in delaying ejaculation for men. This showed for the very first time that these exercises are beneficial for men who have suffered with premature ejaculation on a long-term basis.

The research, led by Dr. Antonio Pastore, looked at 40 men aged between 19 and 46. The men all suffered with premature ejaculation but not not seen results from other types of therapy. For a period of 12 weeks, the men were trained to exercise their pelvic floor muscles and also asked to track their time-to-orgasm over this period.

The men’s average ejaculation time at the beginning of the study was measured at just 31.7 seconds, but at the end of the 12 week study period, this average ejaculation time jumped up to 146.2 seconds (two and a half minutes). This equates to an increase in excess of 400%.

In total, an impressive number of men benefited from the pelvic floor exercises, with 33 of the 40 men experiencing improvements to ejaculation time during the course of the study and only five did not see any significant improvement. Two men quit the study earlier than the rest, but had seen improvement prior to dropping out. Thirteen of those 33 carried on with the trial for a further six months and their improved ejaculation times were maintained.

One person’s perception of what constitutes premature ejaculation may differ to somebody else’s and some men may mistakenly assume they have the condition, but the International Society of Sexual Medicine defines premature ejaculation as “ejaculation within a minute.”

Some men’s premature ejaculation problems can be so severe that sex can prove near impossible, especially if he ejaculates before penetration. This can be hugely damaging for a man’s self-confidence, and frustrating for both partners especially if they are trying for a baby.

Health experts generally, and rightfully, see premature ejaculation as a genuine medical condition requiring treatment, which can be done through over the counter products such as Stud 100 spray and/or the prescription-only medication Priligy. The latter works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

Premature ejaculation a big problem for couples in China

It would be interesting to find out corresponding results for UK women after a recent online survey showed that incredibly there could be around 96% of women in China who are not satisfied with their sexual partners.

Typical points for complaint from the female respondents included the fact that sexual intercourse was not lasting long enough (under 15 minutes), or their male partner having a sexual health problem.

In fact, over a fifth (22%) of the women who completed the survey laim they have ended a relationship or even divorced their husband because of persistent premature ejaculation problems. Moreover, 21% of men have also ended relationships for similar reasons.

Premature ejaculation is, and should, be considered a genuine medical problem that still requires treatment like anything else and as such, there are options available for men with premature ejaculation. Priligy and Stud 100 spray are just two popular treatments.

The report, published on Sept. 25 by the International Society for Sexual Medicine in Beijing, states that over half of Chinese couples are unhappy with their sex lives.

Furthermore, 96% of women and 80% of men claim that they are not enjoying sexual intercourse for sustained periods.  In comparison to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the figures for China are actually higher, according to the report.

The study into sexual health or other such issues was conducted over the duration of six months and included 3,567 people spanning across nine countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region, including: Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.

However, it seems that on average, Chinese couples engage in sexual intercourse around nine times a month on average. This is higher than the overall average for the region of 7.7.

The old saying of ‘quality, not quantity’ could be true though and indeed the amount of times couples had sex was not found to be the primary factor in sexual well-being. Instead, libido, willingness to actually have sex, in addition to intimacy levels in the relationship, were discovered to be far more important.

Jiang Hui, a physician studying male reproductive medicine at Peking University Third Hospital says that a large proportion of his patients are concerned they are unable to satisfy their partners sexually and of these patients, over 80% suffer with premature ejaculation.

Jiang also says that a lot of patients mistakenly think that premature ejaculation is purely only down to psychological issues like pressure, stress and fatigue. He says this is the main reason that a lot of men in China do not seek any kind of treatment for premature ejaculation.

Promescent spray for premature ejaculation set to become a huge hit

A new over-the-counter spray for men suffering with premature ejaculation (PE) could be set to take the world by storm after becoming available in the North American market.

Promescent is the name for the spray which is being referred to as an ‘anti-Viagra’ and as a miracle cure for PE; a condition that can cause deep emotional distress for the male, yet is often ignored in comparison to erectile dysfunction whereby there are a vast array of treatment options such as Viagra, Cialis, Cialis Daily, Levitra, and more.

Absorption Pharmaceuticals are the brains behind the revolutionary topical PE spray, applied to the under-shaft of the penis just 10 minutes prior to sex and will also not transfer to the sexual partner’s vagina if it is washed off, according to Absorption, who give detail on their website what makes Promescent stand out from the crowd.

They say: “Promescent’s absorption technology, in conjunction with the metered-dose spray bottle, enables men to deliver a specific and reproducible amount of lidocaine through the stratum corneum of the penile skin to the dermis and control ejaculation latency. Promescent allows men to easily manage penile sensitivity in order to maintain optimum sexual satisfaction…”

As mentioned above, Promescent contains lidocaine; a topical anaesthesia and this is the same active ingredient as another hugely popular PE spray that is already available in the UK – Stud 100.

Depending on the dose and penis sensitivity, Promescent can last from anywhere ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This should undoubtedly leave both man and woman very satisfied indeed.

The International Society for Sexual Medicine state that PE happens when a man reaches his peak and releases semen soon after penetration. This could be within a minute, but for some men it could be as soon as 15 seconds. For those with a skewed idea of what constitutes ‘premature’ due to a misleading concept of sex from the pornographic industry, it is worth bearing in mind that the average ejaculation time is between an estimated 4 to 8 minutes.

Dr. Ron Gilbert, leader of the research team that developed the spray, commented in an interview that the amount of spray used is quite variable. “One of the nice things about the medication is the dosage can be changed easily,” he said.

“With Promescent the FDA has approved 3 to 10 sprays so you’re able to very, very subtly change the effect, because if four sprays isn’t perfect you can go up to five or six. We hear from patients where this product has brought them from a situation where the bedroom is a place where there’s all this anxiety and disappointment – to where they feel really empowered.”

Jeff Abraham, CEO of Absorption Pharmaceuticals, speaking to CNBC, said: “How can these billion dollar companies in the ED space not come up with a product?”

Mr Abraham recently rejected a $30 million offer for his company on the belief that the market for premature ejaculation treatments could eclipse that of the one for erectile dysfunction treatments – meaning Absorption will be worth a whole lot more than $30 million!

If you are one of the many millions of men around the world who are having premature ejaculation problems, Medical Specialists Pharmacy are able to prescribe Priligy to suitable patients following an online consultation with one of our doctors. Priligy is an oral tablet taken prior to the sexual activity and acts quickly within 60 minutes, only taken when you need it. In addition, we offer Stud 100 spray, obtainable from our chemist shop. Stud 100 delays ejaculation by reducing the sensitivity of the penis, significantly prolonging intercourse and providing greater satisfaction for both partners.

More younger men are now suffering from erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as male impotence, is a very common condition affecting almost half of men between 40 to 70 years of age on at least one occasion.

The inability to achieve and maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse is often mistakenly assumed to be an ‘older’ man’s condition and something that surely could not affect a male under the age of 40…wrong!

In fact, Medical Specialists Pharmacy deals with thousands of patients every year who are requesting ED treatments such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. The stigma attached to this genuine health problem seems to be finally subsiding as men banish their worries and embrace these highly effective treatments.

And now, a new study published in the The Journal of Sexual Medicine has revealed that approximately a quarter of men under the age of 40 are seeking treatment to combat erectile dysfunction, and almost half (48%) of these men were actually suffering with severe ED.

“Erectile function, in general, is a marker for overall cardiovascular function — this is the first research showing evidence of severe erectile dysfunction in a population of men 40 years of age or younger’ Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, commented in a statement.

Goldstein continued: “Clinically, when younger patients have presented with erectile dysfunction, we have in the past had a bias that their ED was primarily psychologic-based and vascular testing was not needed. We now need to consider regularly assessing the integrity of arterial inflow in young patients — identifying arterial pathology in such patients may be very relevant to their overall long-term health.”

Prevalence of ED would seem to increase in correlation with age; however studies of younger men have painted a confusing picture of the true extent of the problem, with prevalence rates varying from between 2 and 40%.

Therefore, Paolo Capogrosso, MD, of the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, in Milan, Italy, and a team of researchers assessed the clinical and sociological factors of 439 men who had attended one particular academic outpatient clinic requesting first-time medical assistance for impotence problems between January 2010 and June 2012.

From the 439 men, it was found that 114 (26%) were aged 40 or under. Younger patients were determined to have a lower average body mass index, a higher average level of testosterone in their blood, in addition to a lower rate of any other medical issues. However, they generally smoked more cigarettes and took more illicit drugs compared to older patients; both have been known to contribute to impotence problems in men.

Another common problem for men – premature ejaculation – was found to be more prominent in younger men, whilst Peyronie’s disease (where scar tissue causes a bending/deformity of the penis) was more common in the older patients.

More studies may have to be conducted that cover a much large, varied demographic, but the findings of this study could suggest that the condition may be affecting a lot more younger men than health experts predict.

It could be that some men may not wish to share their problems with anybody else, especially their own GP, and this may explain why at Medical Specialists we are seeing a rapidly increasing number of men turning to us for help in treating something that can be deeply distressing and can have a major impact on a man’s self-esteem and relationship with his partner.

For information on how to obtain the previously mentioned treatments for erectile dysfunction; Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, in addition to premature ejaculation treatments such as Priligy and Stud 100 spray, visit the Men’s Health area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website.