Female Libido in Menopause: Desire Loss, Biology & Solutions with Cindy Eckert

This week on unPaused, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals and creator of Addyi, the first FDA approved treatment for low libido in women. Cindy is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who began her career at Merck before founding her first company in 2007, focusing on under marketed FDA approved products. After successfully building and selling a male sexual health company, she became the only woman running a sexual health company and witnessed firsthand the stark contrast between how medicine treats male versus female sexual dysfunction. Her journey to bring Addyi to market became a cultural battle about whether women's sexual desire matters, leading to two FDA rejections, public hearings, and ultimately a historic approval in 2015 after a six year fight. ADDYI, flibanserin, is for women under 65 with low sexual desire disorder who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past, and who have low sexual desire that is troubling to them no matter the type of sexual activity, situation, or sexual partner. The low sexual desire is not due to a medical or mental health problem, problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use. ADDYI is not for men or to enhance sexual performance. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink 1-2 standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your ADDYI dose. Wait at least 2 hours after one to two drinks before taking ADDYI at bedtime and skip your dose if you drink three or more drinks that evening. If you take certain prescription, OTC or herbal medications, or have liver problems, the risk of low blood pressure and fainting increases and you should not take ADDYI. Do not take if you are allergic to any of ADDYI’s ingredients. Sometimes serious sleepiness can occur. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth. See PI and Boxed Warning at addyi.com/pi Guest links: * Cindy Eckert https://www.cindypinkceo.com/ * Cindy Eckert (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/cindypinkceo Recommended Books: * “Mars and Venus in the Bedroom: A Guide to Lasting Romance and Passion,” by John Gray http://amazon.com/Mars-Venus-Bedroom-Lasting-Romance/dp/0061015717 For full show notes, please visit: https://bit.ly/unPAUSEDCindyEckert 00:00 Why Women’s Sexual Health Gets Dismissed (and Men’s Doesn’t) 00:00:35 Mary Claire’s Wake-Up Call: “I Wasn’t Trained for This” 00:03:18 Meet Cindy Eckert: The Woman Who Wouldn’t Let This Stay Taboo 00:03:43 A Nomadic Childhood & The Entrepreneurial Spark 00:05:12 From Merck to Startups: Chasing Innovation (and Equity) 00:08:06 Lightning Strike: 26 Treatments for Men… Zero for Women 00:10:50 The MRI Moment: Libido Is Biology, Not “Just Stress” 00:12:25 What Is Addyi? Desire vs. Arousal (Brain Flow, Not Blood Flow) 00:15:38 What to Expect: How It Feels When It Works + Timeline 00:19:26 Inside the FDA Roadmap: The 3 Endpoints They Had to Prove 00:20:20 13,000 Women Studied + Getting Laughed Out of Investor Rooms 00:22:43 Two FDA Rejections & The Double Standard with Viagra 00:25:52 Patients Testify: The Fight That Changed the Conversation 00:35:07 Big Pharma Shelves Addyi—So Cindy Takes It Back 00:41:58 Backing Women Founders: “Show Up in Pink and Don’t Tone Down” 00:51:35 Who Was Studied + The Breast Cancer Survivor “What If” Trial 00:58:34 Insurance Madness: “Fail Marriage Counseling” Before Coverage?! 01:04:02 Retiring the Myth: Women Aren’t Here to Deliver Pleasure 01:04:20 The Pink Pill Documentary & Why Cindy Finally Said Yes 01:08:07 Final Word: “I’m Allergic to Hypocrisy” Never miss an episode—sign up for The ’Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ’Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.