Post by Zakiah Levanah on Nov 27, 2004 18:23:08 GMT -5
feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=fcf695145d88a3b1&cat=656c762851046e9d
BTW here are some natural herbs to help with a womans low sex drive
rasberry & Rosemary tea may help. As well as any hebs that have a reputation as an aphrodisiac. rasberry leaves relax the reproductive organs, rosemary is stimulating and nettle is rich in vitamins and minerals.
40g dried rasberry leaves
20g dried stinging nettles
15g dried rosemary
15g dried chaste- tree berries
10 grams dried peppermint
Mix herbs and store inan air tight dark jar, amber or blue..
Place 2 teaspoons in a tisane cup or snmall teapot add a cup of freshly boiled water and steep for 10 mins. strain
drink 2-3 cups a day
tonic wine made with Wu wei Zi and chaste berry tincture can help also.
Now to the article
Fast-track review of touted sexual dysfunction treatment criticized
Betterhumans Staff
11/26/2004 4:06 PM
Credit: Peter Chen
Object of desire: A patch to increase women's sexual interest could soon be approved, but critics say there's insufficient data on it and potentially misleading marketing
A testosterone patch touted as a treatment for women with low sex drive has attracted criticism in a leading medical journal after being granted a fast-track review by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The transdermal patch, Intrinsa by Procter & Gamble, is the first drug targeted at a controversial condition called hypoactive sexual desire disorder. As such it has invited comparisons to Viagra, the infamous treatment for erectile dysfunction, has garnered much media coverage and promises to pave the way for similar treatments by other pharmaceutical companies.
But articles in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ) have sounded an alarm, pointing out that there is insufficient data on the drug and potentially misleading marketing.
"As it turns out," writes award-winning medical journalist Ray Moynihan, "the key trials of the patch have all been funded by the company, several key 'thought leaders' in the field, including some trial investigators, have financial ties to the company, at least one of the investigators is a company employee, and the measurement scales used in the trials were also funded and designed with input from Procter & Gamble."
Approval pending
Proctor & Gamble is reportedly aiming to launch Intrinsa sometime between July and December of 2005.
The criticism comes just days before the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee meets to discuss use of the patch for treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder in surgically menopausal women who are also receiving estrogen therapy.
The meeting, on December 2, follows reports from Procter & Gamble that a 562-patient trial found that women using the testosterone patch had a 74% increase in the frequency of "satisfying" sexual activity and a 56% increase in sexual desire. Those using the patch reported an average of 2.13 sexual activity episodes in four weeks compared to .98 episodes for those on the placebo.
Another study of 533 women found a 51% increase in the frequency of satisfying sexual activity and an increase of 1.56 episodes every four weeks compared to .73 for the placebo group. This study also found a 49% increase in sexual desire.
Another Vioxx?
However, Moynihan points out, none of the key clinical trials of the testosterone patch have been published in peer reviewed journals.
Furthermore, he shows, a "74% increase" in sexual activity is misleading, as it could mean an increase of just one episode of sexual activity a month—or less. While this might be valuable, say experts in women's sexual disorders, there are concerns about the long-term safety of testosterone.
Critics are also concerned about the condition the patch is intended to treat, as they say that some decline in sexual desire can be a healthy adaptive response.
The entire situation, says Moynihan, is similar to that of the approval of the anti-arthritis drug Vioxx, recently pulled from market because of concerns over an increased risk of heart attacks. As with Vioxx, argues Moynihan, the media has been too quick to embrace Intrinsa without proper scrutiny.
"None of the key clinical trials of Procter & Gamble's testosterone patch has been published in peer reviewed journals, yet for a year or more excited media reports have sung the praises of the latest panacea for women's 'low sex drive,'" he writes. "Next week, despite a virtual worldwide absence of independent public scrutiny of the scientific data, a panel of advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration will decide whether or not to recommend this drug's approval."
