Shares of BioSante Pharmaceuticals surged 14 percent this morning after news hit that a mid-stage trial of its oral contraceptive--Pill-Plus--produced positive data with indications of increased sex drive among the women taking the pill. BioSante is out to prove that its triple-hormone oral contraceptive can prevent pregnancy without the loss of sexual desire--a common condition among women taking currently available contraceptives.
Pill-Plus combines estrogen and progestogen with a third hormone--an androgen--which is similar to the male testosterone. Adding androgen is expected to address female sexual dysfunction. The therapy is also in development as a patch.
"We are pleased with the results to date in the clinical work being carried-out by Pantarhei (which licensed the therapy)," said Stephen M. Simes, BioSante's president and CEO. "We look forward to additional clinical results in the Pill-Plus' development program in 2009."
- check out the Biosante release
- read the report in Genetic Engineering News