The testosterone patch, brand name Intrinsa among others, was designed to treat
female sexual dysfunction.
Mechanism of action
Testosterone patches works by releasing the hormone
testosterone
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...
through the skin into the bloodstream. In women, testosterone is naturally produced by the
ovaries
The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are endocr ...
and the
adrenal gland. However, levels of the hormone decline with age, sometimes more after
menopause
Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...
. Testosterone therapy is systemic and needs to be applied over a period of weeks or months to have an effect.
[Can Intrinsa Be a Viagra for Women?]
BusinessWeek, October 28, 2004. Retrieved June 22, 2007. P&G licensed the treatment to Watson Pharmaceuticals.
[
]
Approval
The patch was granted a license from the European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) in charge of the evaluation and supervision of pharmaceutical products. Prior to 2004, it was known as the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products ...
in July, and is available on Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
's National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
from March 2007.
However, in December 2004 the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
the 14-member Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
(FDA) advisory committee, plus voting consultants, for Reproductive Health Drugs unanimously rejected Procter and Gamble's fast-track request for Intrinsa citing concerns about off-label use Off-label use is the use of pharmaceutical drugs for an unapproved indication or in an unapproved age group, dosage, or route of administration. Both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs (OTCs) can be used in off-label ways, although mo ...
. In Canada, post-menopausal women have been able to obtain government-approved testosterone treatment since 2002. In Australia, post-menopausal women can use Organon
The ''Organon'' (, meaning "instrument, tool, organ") is the standard collection of Aristotle's six works on logical analysis and dialectic. The name ''Organon'' was given by Aristotle's followers, the Peripatetics, who maintained against the ...
testosterone implants which have to be surgically inserted and last from three to six months.[FDA Panel Rejects Intrinsa]
About.com Politics, December 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
See also
* List of androgens available in the United States
* Bremelanotide
* Flibanserin
* Melanotan II
References
External links
Procter and Gamble web page for Intrinsa
Information on Intrinsa and User Forum
Patch 'to boost female sex drive'
{{Androgen receptor modulators
Anabolic–androgenic steroids
Female sexual dysfunction drugs
Aphrodisiacs