Using Brain Scans to Figure Out What Women Want. Brain Waves: The field of neurotechnology, the focus of this blog, encompasses advances in brain science (neurons), information technology (bits) and bioengineering (genes). Up for discussion and analysis: the political, economic, ethical, and social forces that will shape the future of what will be one of the most important and fascinating stories of the coming decades.

About this author

Zack Lynch is author of The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World (St. Martin's Press, July 2009).
He is the founder and executive director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) and co-founder of NeuroInsights. He serves on the advisory boards of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies, Science Progress, and SocialText, a social software company. Please send newsworthy items or feedback - to Zack Lynch.
Follow me on Twitter at @neurorev

Receive by email

GUEST AUTHOR ARCHIVES

In the Pipeline: Don't miss Derek Lowe's excellent commentary on drug discovery and the pharma industry in general at In the Pipeline

« UC Merced Opens Today | Main | Come Discuss the Neurosociety at the University of Pennsylvania's Cognitive Neuroscience Meeting Next Monday »

September 8, 2005

Using Brain Scans to Figure Out What Women Want

Posted by Zack Lynch

What will they think of next? MIT's Technology Review reports on the following:

"Drug companies make $2.5 billion a year selling Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to help men enjoy sex. Since more women suffer from sexual dysfunction than men, developing a drug that could double those sales would seem to be a no-brainer. Yet the pharmaceutical industry has failed women miserably -- there isn't a single sexual dysfunction drug on the market that can help them. Pfizer Inc. last year abandoned an eight-year Viagra study involving 3,000 women, conceding that its famous blue pill only works for men.

While Pfizer and other pharmaceutical titans have abandoned the pursuit of a Viagra for females as too complicated, a growing number of university researchers are reporting progress with the help of brain scanners and other technology.

Yes, they're watching women's brains while they have orgasms. And they're coming to some interesting conclusions."

While Big Phama may have given up on FSD, several smaller companies are making progress, including: Nastech Pharmaceutical (apomorphine HCI) in Phase II; Solvay Pharmaceuticals (Estratest) in Phase II; BioSante Pharmaceuticals (LibiGel) completed Phase II; and Palatin Technologies (PT-141) in Phase II.

Comments (126) + TrackBacks (2) | Category: Neuropharma

COMMENTS

1. Marc Tretin on September 20, 2005 10:05 AM writes...

How do you get a random sample if you are required to get women willing to have an orgasm while within an MRI machine and being observed by strangers?

About this author

Receive by email

GUEST AUTHOR ARCHIVES

THE NEURO REVOLUTION

NEUROTECH REPORT

NEUROTECH NEWS

BLOGS I READ

NEURORESOURCE LINKS

NEWS SOURCES

ORGANIZATIONS

September 8, 2005

Using Brain Scans to Figure Out What Women Want

Zack on Twitter