An Undearm Fix For A Low Sex Drive

Does your sex drive need a boost? We're not talking about the kind of pick-me-up that you can get from Viagra or Cialis. How about hypogonadism? You know, low testosterone levels. If you relate, just raise your hand - or instead, raise your arm and rub on some testosterone cream.

That's right. Lilly just signed a global licensing deal with Acrux to commercialize an experimental underarm testosterone solution to be called Axiron, which is being reviewed by the FDA. If approved, this would become the first testosterone product that would be as handy to use as deodorant (just make sure you reach for the correct item in the medicine cabinet. You wouldn't want to start the day overstimulated now, would you?).

Here's the nitty gritty - Acrux gets an upfront payment of $50 million, plus $3 million once manufacturing assets are transferred. If the FDA approves the cream, Acrux gets another $87 million and up to $195 million more in potential commercialization milestones and undisclosed sales royalties.

Improving sex lives is, we know, a big opportunity. In explaining its decision to invest in Axiron, Lilly cites a study suggesting that up to 39 percent of men who are 45 years old or more may have lower-than-normal testosterone levels. Yet most apparently go undiagnosed (please don't suggest they're bored with their partners).

Nonetheless, someone is using this sort of stuff - Lilly also cites IMS data indicating global sales of testosterone therapies now exceed $1 billion, with the US contributing some $700 million to that total. And Acrux, which developed its product using proprietary technology, brags that market research shows 87 percent of physicians said they would offer Axiron to existing patients.

So no matter what the problem down below, Lilly hopes to have an arsenal of medicines that can lift one's... spirits.