Sprout to relaunch ‘female Viagra’ and cut the price in half

June 11, 2018

Sprout Pharmaceuticals said it is reviving an attempt to boost sales for the only medication on the market that treats low female libido.

The medication, Addyi, was approved by the FDA in 2015 after being rejected twice. But after Sprout sold the drug to Valeant Pharmaceutical for $1 billion, sales sputtered, partly because many insurers denied coverage for the $800-a-month medication. Addyi was also given strict restrictions by the FDA, who warned that women shouldn’t drink at all while taking the pill because the combination could cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. 

Sprout has since repurchased Addyi and recently announced it will cut the cost to $400 a month. The company said it will allow doctors to prescribe the medication on a website so it can be shipped directly to patients.

Addyi is currently the only FDA-approved medication designed to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women. But competitors are looking to enter the market. AMAG Pharmaceuticals is currently developing a similar drug called bremelanotide that could be taken as-needed instead of every day. The FDA said it will make a final decision on bremelanotide by March 2019. 

Read the full Bloomberg report.