Say Hello to Addyi, A Drug to Boost Female Libido

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By: Cindy Wendland

The Wall Street Journal was one of the news sources to announce that the FDA has approved a drug to boost female libido. They refer to it as Viagra for Women or pink Viagra. After approving 24 drugs for male sexual dysfunction, the FDA finally approved one for women. The groundbreaking product is called Addyi^TM. The branding and marketing of this product will be something to watch.

One of the concerns for this product is that the drug would be overused. To address that concern, the company, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, will not do TV or radio advertising for 18 months after the drug’s approval. Sprout will focus on marketing to 30,000 doctors directly. The direct-to-doctor marketing approach has been well documented in the pharmaceutical industry. There should be no difficulty in following this path to inform doctors. The exciting part is really about the new discussions that will be taking place in doctor offices with women.

It seems the conversation is usually about men’s sex drive. From the time boys mature into young men and are overrun with testosterone, the focus has been on their sexual interest. When their ability to follow through on their sexual desires became limited, the focus shifted to products to help them reach their objective. Nowhere in this discussion over time has any conversation touched on women’s sex drive. Are women just passive characters in male plays or are they active participants that have desires that deserve attention?

Finally it seems that through Addyi women are getting attention to address issues specific to them and how their physical and emotional well being changes over time with hormone changes. The conversations will be interesting, pointed, and passionate. It is hopeful that the marketing that will follow is as on target and fresh as the product itself.

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About the Author

Cindy Wendland has a background in marketing and finance. She is the creative director for an online men's health magazine, BrainBrawnBody.com, and she gets to write their leisure/travel blog. She is also a web designer helping her clients with online community engagement, websitesbywendland.com. Prior to her web years, she worked in pharmacy consulting.

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