Cindy Whitehead, CEO Of Sprout (aka The “female Viagra” company), Is Stepping Down

The CEO of Sprout pharmaceuticals, the corporate at the back of the “female Viagra” drug that received FDA approval past this yr, is reportedly leaving the corporate. “i believe like I’ve considered it through to what i needed to accomplish,” Cindy Whitehead said in an interview with Bizwomen. “It really was once to prove the science, get the approval so that women could have this choice for themselves and then truly to construct the workforce to have it really come to the conclusion of the larger mission, which is the chance for this to head global and to be made broadly to be had to girls in an inexpensive means.”

however the drug for girls, Addyi, hasn’t been a world phenomenon—in comparison with actual Viagra for males, Addyi’s gross sales had been pretty lackluster. Whitehead was a motive force behind Sprout’s onerous-fought lobbying marketing campaign accusing the FDA of discriminating in opposition to ladies when it twice rejected the approval for Addyi, a drug that’s meant to treat hypoactive sexual need disorder in ladies. In August, the drug ultimately received FDA approval, changing into the first prescription drug to fortify women’s sexual pressure. quickly thereafter, Sprout was once bought via Valeant prescription drugs for $1 billion. then again, only 227 prescriptions have been crammed in its first month available on the market. again in 1998, over 500,000 Viagra prescriptions were bought.

A spokesperson for Valeant informed business Insider that Whitehead’s departure used to be a mutual decision. “Having constructed a workforce to take Addyi to market, we at the same time agreed that it used to be the correct time to transition to new leadership for the following segment of worldwide commercialization.”