Amid controversy and fanfare, regulators last year approved a pill called Addyi, which became the first medicine for combating female sexual dysfunction.
The endorsement came despite lingering questions about safety and effectiveness, but also followed a high-stakes pressure campaign in which the manufacturer accused the Food and Drug Administration of gender bias, since several pills were already approved for men with sexual problems.
Although some had great expectations for the drug, Addyi has, so far, been a bust. Not only have sales been meager, but the pill and its manufacturer — Valeant Pharmaceuticals — rate poorly on several measures that should be of concern to women and doctors, according to an advocacy group that on Thursday released a report card for the drug’s one-year anniversary.
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