Sprout Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Seeking to renew a failed drug, and women’s sex lives
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The backers of Sprout Pharmaceuticals Inc. are convinced the start-up has a drug candidate that can help women who’ve lost interest in sex feel desire again: flibanserin, a daily pill that interacts with receptors in the CNS. It was originally developed by Boehringer Ingelheim, which failed to win FDA approval in 2010 for its use in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder, but Sprout is optimistic the clinical development work it has since put into the compound will help it win regulators’ approval.