FDA Looks at P&G's Sex-Drive Drug

"However, our best guess is that Intrinsa, like Viagra, will be slotted as 'lifestyle' drug" and be subject to the highest level out-of-pocket costs among drugs covered by managed care organizations, she said. For example, if an average prescription costs $60, a patient would likely pay about $40, she said. (P&G hasn't set a price yet.)

Gillin-Lefever, who has an outperform rating on P&G, said the advisory panel probably will focus on several key areas -- the impact of testosterone on blood pressure and cholesterol; the question of whether longer-term studies are needed (P&G's clinical trials ran six months); and prospects of "off-label" use. "The committee is also likely to be keenly interested in whether Intrinsa will work over the long term," she added. "To date, there is very little supporting data for longer-term efficacy." (She doesn't own shares; her firm has an investment banking relationship with Watson Pharmaceuticals.)

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