{"id":3508,"date":"2017-04-10T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T08:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viamedic.com\/blog\/?p=3508"},"modified":"2017-04-10T08:00:18","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T08:00:18","slug":"a-relaunch-is-coming-for-addyi-aka-female-viagra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/a-relaunch-is-coming-for-addyi-aka-female-viagra\/","title":{"rendered":"A Relaunch is Coming for Addyi, aka ‘Female Viagra’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Relaunch is Coming for Addyi, aka ‘Female Viagra’<\/figcaption><\/figure> Will two times be the charm? Makers of the women-only libido drug Addyi (flibanserin), also known as \u201cfemale Viagra\u201d, will be relaunching the drug in hopes that this time it will sell.<\/p>\n

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. plans a U.S. relaunch of the struggling Addyi, which is intended to treat low sexual desire in women. The drug works quite differently that its popular counterpart for male impotence, Viagra, which has been part of the challenge in its overall sales success.<\/p>\n

Approved in 2015 by the FDA, Sprout shareholders who stood to profit from the drugs success said Addyi\u2019s sales suffered because Valeant didn\u2019t market the drug aggressively enough.<\/p>\n

Also impacting sales was the fact that Valeant doubled the price of the drug after purchasing it\u00a0as part of its 2015 acquisition of Sprout Pharmaceuticals<\/a>. Investors in the pharmaceutical company claimed that the drug was being over-priced, according to a recent Bloomberg report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to reports<\/a>, the accusations were compiled in a letter from Sprout shareholders, which claimed that Valeant has threatened the commercial success of Addyi through overpricing and by neglecting to market the drug properly- as promised within the merger agreement with Sprout. The group making these claims represented all of Sprout\u2019s shareholders during the period of time (August 2015) when it was sold to the Canadian drug company for $1 billion.<\/p>\n

Both Valeant and Sprout had big sales forecasts for Addyi, projecting $1 billion in sales over the first seven quarters of distribution, according to the Bloomberg report. \u00a0But, Addyi has experienced lackluster interest since its launch last October, and investors are blaming the inflated price as a key factor.<\/p>\n

Valeant’s Challenges to Be Addressed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Valeant\u00a0has been struggling with debt and has positioned Addyi\u2019s relaunch, and that of Neutrasal \u2013 used to treat dry mouth \u2013 as part of a campaign to launch more than 50 products globally in 2017.<\/p>\n

Valeant hasn\u2019t reported exactly how much revenue it hopes to generate from the relaunch. But, Addyi\u2019s floundering sales from last year contributed to the financial challenges Valeant struggles with, with its accounting and pricing tactics<\/a> under attack and debt troubles looming<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One challenge, for example, is that the company recently reported a fourth-quarter loss and decline in revenues, sending shares down 9.8% in morning trade.<\/p>\n

Addyi\u2019s Challenges are Part of the Equation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The acquisition of Addyi was expected to boost Valeant\u2019s share of the marketplace, but challenges ensued.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

1. Addyi\u2019s price was increased, most likely to make up for financial issues Valeant was struggling with.<\/strong><\/p>\n