Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women: the fallacy of regulatory precedent.

Mintzes, Barbara et al.·Drug and therapeutics bulletin·2021·Strong EvidenceReview
RPEP-05614ReviewStrong Evidence2021RETHINKTHC RESEARCH DATABASErethinkthc.com/research

Quick Facts

Study Type
Review
Evidence
Strong Evidence
Sample
N=N/A (analysis of Phase III trial data)
Participants
Premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (from Phase III trials)

What This Study Found

Flibanserin added ~0.5 satisfying sexual events/month; bremelanotide added none by primary outcome. Both approvals involved shifted endpoints and contested indications.

Key Numbers

Flibanserin: +0.5 SSE/month; bremelanotide: no primary endpoint benefit; flibanserin approved on 3rd attempt; shifted primary outcomes

How They Did This

Critical regulatory analysis of clinical trial data, endpoint shifts, advocacy campaigns, and approval processes for flibanserin and bremelanotide.

Why This Research Matters

Regulatory decisions based on weak evidence can set precedents that lower the bar for future drug approvals.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Critical analysis from one perspective. Drug regulators and manufacturers may disagree. Patient-reported outcomes like desire are inherently subjective.

Trust & Context

Original Title:
Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women: the fallacy of regulatory precedent.
Published In:
Drug and therapeutics bulletin, 59(12), 185-188 (2021)
Database ID:
RPEP-05614

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review
Randomized Controlled Trial
Cohort / Case-Control
Cross-Sectional / ObservationalSnapshot without intervening
This study
Case Report / Animal Study

Summarizes existing research on a topic.

What do these levels mean? →

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Cite This Study

RPEP-05614·https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-05614

APA

Mintzes, Barbara; Tiefer, Leonore; Cosgrove, Lisa. (2021). Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women: the fallacy of regulatory precedent.. Drug and therapeutics bulletin, 59(12), 185-188. https://doi.org/10.1136/dtb.2021.000020

MLA

Mintzes, Barbara, et al. "Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women: the fallacy of regulatory precedent.." Drug and therapeutics bulletin, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1136/dtb.2021.000020

RethinkPeptides

RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Bremelanotide and flibanserin for low sexual desire in women..." RPEP-05614. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/mintzes-2021-bremelanotide-and-flibanserin-for

Access the Original Study

Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.