Would You take this drug??

absolutuscchick · #1 10-11-2003, 04:33 PM

Would you take a drug to make you tanner and thinner?

Can 'Barbie Drug' make you Thinner, Tanner, and Sexier?

Can 'Barbie Drug' Make You Thinner, Tanner, Sexier?

POSTED: 4:50 p.m. PDT October 10, 2003
UPDATED: 6:00 p.m. PDT October 10, 2003

LOS ANGELES -- A new drug that started out as a tanning aid is suddenly being compared to Viagra. But the drug isn't just for men. In fact, many researchers are calling it "The Barbie Drug" because of its effect on appearance. When skin cancer researchers tested a hormone called Melanotan II on a group of men, their hope was to stimulate a natural tan without the sun. However, they stumbled upon some surprising side effects.

Dr. Mac Hadley from the University of Arizona told NBC News, "After about 10 days of taking this Melanotan II, I lost about 10 pounds."

Now, several companies are developing customized drugs based on Melanotan II. Each company is focused on a different benefit.

An Australian lab is now testing an injection called EpiTan that is aimed to deliver a safe tan. Terry Winters, a spokesperson for EpiTan, told NBC News, "It is a total duplicate of the normal tanning process in humans, except it occurs without sunlight."

Here in the U.S., researchers are working on a sexual spin-off called PT141. It's a nasal spray that promises to boost libido in both men and women.

While each product will be marketed for one specific use, researchers said it's a win/win/win situation.

Dr. Monica Ramirez, a psychologist, said, "Any pill that can help people lose weight, get a tan and improve their sex life has got to be a winner for a lot of people." However, Ramirez worries about the mindset a drug like this would encourage. She said, "It just raises the bar. So now, everybody is expected to be thin enough, and beautiful enough, and sexy enough and it just creates a whole new way to feel like a failure."

If you're eager to toy with the "Barbie Drug," you'll probably have to wait a few years. There's still a long way to go before federal regulators approve it beyond the testing stage.