Sex, Diet and Tanning: The Curious Story of the Drug to Induce a Natural Tan
A Tarantino Type Ride into the Wild World of Big Drugs, Big Sex and Big Government…
By Terence Winters, PhD and Robert Dorr, PhD
Sex, Diet and Tanning tells the true story of the development of the tanning drug known sequentially as Melanotan, Epitan and then Scenesse (afamelanotide), from its discovery in the laboratories of University of Arizona (UA) to the start of the clinical trials.
It also includes everything you need to know about the biology of tanning written in a way that can be easily understood. It is now approved by the FDA and EMA and is marketed in the USA and the EU to treat an orphan disease by causing the patient to develop a natural tan without exposure to sunlight.
The story covers the incredible properties of this class of drugs which include sexual arousal, weight loss and tanning in humans, which led to the nickname of the "Barbie Drug". It describes the risks and uncertainties of the company start-up process and how decisions must be made based on limited information and implemented with scarce amounts of capital.
The story takes several surprising turns including the accidental discovery of the sexual arousal properties and relocation from Tucson, Arizona to Melbourne, Australia due to the availability of funding. It also includes a tragic murder and some really interesting personalities. It is a guide to structuring a start-up company and making it successful.
"A drug like ours could dramatically lower skin cancer rates including the use of damaging sun tanning booths that use UV-A light. This drug does not damage the skin to produce a visible and photo-protective tan." – ROBERT DORR, PHD
“The drug is already approved by the FDA in the US, by the EMA in Europe and by the TGA in Australia to alleviate the severe pain from exposure to sunlight for a small market of patients with a specific kind of genetic defect. If this drug is approved for cosmetic tanning, it is likely that the tanning salons would become obsolete. It will be at least as big as Botox." – TERRY WINTERS, PHD
Terence Winters, PhD and Robert Dorr, PhD are authors of Sex, Diet and Tanning: The Curious Story of the Drug to Induce a Natural Tan Including All You Ever Wanted to Know About Tanning.