You won’t be seeing Yaz birth control ads on TV anymore — or at least not the ones that the pharmaceutical company Bayer has been using. On October 3, the FDA issued a warning letter to the company, telling Bayer its ads overstate the benefits of Yaz. While the drug is approved for symptoms related to treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, it is not approved for the treatment of the less serious premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. Similarly, Yaz is approved for the treatment of moderate acne, but the FDA said the ad suggests it is approved for acne of all severities. Just another reason not believe everything you hear on TV. [Medical News Today]
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Tag Archives: fda
Yaz Is Not A Miracle Drug
The Little Blue Pill Might Help Women With The Blues
While Viagra is an invention that has helped grandpas around the country get it back up for their spouses, nurses, and right hands, it now may be able to help women too! A recent eight-week experiment, funded by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, followed 98 women who were having trouble orgasming due to antidepressant medication. They were given Viagra and asked to have sex once a week with the pill’s aide. Seventy-two percent of the girls gave the erectile dysfunction drug the thumbs up! Although it didn’t increase their libido, the ladies reported that it did help them climax. But the findings certainly have some critics — 27% of the women in the control group who were given a placebo pill also reported satisfaction. However, despite shelling out cash for the study, Pfizer says it will not seek FDA approval for females to use Viagra, since it concluded in 2004 that there were no explicit benefits. If you’re still searching for a pick-me-up that’ll work with your antidepressant, there’s a clitoral therapy device approved by the FDA already, and libido-enhancing LibiGel is currently being tested. It looks like women will have plenty of options without having to pop pills like Bob Dole. [Orlando Sentinel] Keep reading »
FDA Guards Gardasil’s Market Share
So far in the states, Gardasil has been the only FDA approved vaccine for the double-whammy strain of HPV that causes cervical cancer. However, in Europe Cervarix has been kicking HPV’s butt and protecting women across the continent. While the drug has been in the FDA review process for foreva-eva, it looks like new data submitted by the makers, GlaxoSmithKline, will stall approvals now until 2009. Sheesh! What’s a girl gotta do to get some options? [Wall Street Journal]
A Hair Do For Hair You Don’t Want
We are finally safe from waxidents! The FDA has approved a hair remover wand for home use. The Silk’n, created by Home Skinovations, uses photo-thermal technology (aka light) to zap the hair you don’t want down there. After only six treatments, it reduces your hair count by 50%. You still have to go through a doctor to get it, but if you’re a smooth operator, it’ll be all yours. [Engadget] Keep reading »
FDA Smackdown: Cervarix vs. Gardasil
The FDA is rushing to rubber stamp Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccine, for women ages 27-45. Initially, the miracle HPV-preventer has been well received by its intended market — women and girls ages 9-26. Due to Gardasil’s success, amounting in $1.5 billion in sales last year, its makers, Merck & Co, are looking to expand potential beneficiaries. Merck has found Gardasil to be 91% effective in women 24-45 and are pushing for FDA approval within six months. The FDA is already reviewing a similarly effective British vaccine, Cervarix, put out by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which is currently used for women up to 55 years of age in the U.K. No matter who wins the vaccine approval race, this is good news for women. With 250,000 reported deaths from cervical cancer every year, somethin’ has gotta be done! [ Boston Globe] Keep reading »
Gay Blood Is As Good As Any, Darnit!
Happy Hump Day! We here at The Frisky would like to salute the hump and its oh-so-important role in our lives. However, who you like to hump shouldn’t dictate whose lives you can save. Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t agree. We were totally shocked when our gay boyfriend told us he couldn’t participate in a blood drive because of his sexual orientation! The FDA’s outdated blood donation policies exclude gay men or any man who has ever even fooled around with another guy since the late 70’s — so even a meaty ménage à trois could make you too gay for the FDA. Also by proxy, any woman who has hooked up with a bisexual or gay guy — umm, hi! — is also ineligible for blood donation for a year. Keep reading »
