Startups Are Hawking Zoloft and Beta-Blockers for Off-Label Uses

April 2, 2019, 11:01 AM UTC

A new breed of online health-care startups are testing the boundaries of medical marketing, advertising prescription drugs for unapproved uses to college students with stage fright and men seeking to improve their sexual performance.

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Hims Inc. markets sertraline, a generic version of the antidepressant Zoloft, to treat premature ejaculation. “Ending the bedroom fun a little too soon? Sertraline can help treat premature ejaculation so sex can last longer for both you and your partner,” the company said in an Instagram post.

Kick Health, another startup, sells the blood-pressure drug propranolol to treat anxiety, an off-label use. Kick says on ...

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