A new film reveals just how hard it was to make the 'female Viagra'

"A new documentary called The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs, and Who Has Control, premiering at the DOC NYC film festival, explores the fight to launch Addyi, a drug known as "the female Viagra." Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, the film follows Cindy Eckert, the founder of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, who worked for five years to bring Addyi to market, which she managed to do in 2015. But just as fascinating, the film explores society's perception of women's sexuality and whether women have a right to sexual pleasure."

"The film also has an unusual backer. Knix, the underwear startup known for its period panties, provided the capital to bring this film to completion, and Knix founder Joanna Griffiths serves as an executive producer. It's an interesting strategy that allows Knix to be part of a broader conversation about women's rights while also potentially introducing the brand to new consumers."

"Low libido is a widespread problem among women. In this film, women talk about how their desire for sex can suddenly dry up, harming their romantic relationships and lowering their quality of life. But while men's loss of sexual desire is treated as a medical problem, women's sexual problems have been dismissed. Women describe their doctors telling them to drink some wine or read a steamy romance novel to get themselves in the mood."

After Viagra's 1998 debut, demand for a female sexual-enhancement drug grew, but medical and regulatory systems largely ignored women's sexual health for decades. The Pink Pill follows Cindy Eckert's five-year effort to bring Addyi, branded the 'female Viagra,' to market in 2015 and examines societal attitudes about women's sexual desire and entitlement to pleasure. Underwear company Knix funded the film and participated as executive producer to engage consumers in women's-rights conversations. The film portrays low libido as common and damaging to relationships, highlights dismissive medical responses, and recounts an earlier 2009 antidepressant-derived therapy that failed FDA approval due to efficacy and safety concerns.

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