Since the launch of Viagra in 1998, more than two dozen experimental therapies have been studied to boost female sexual libido and, sadly, two of the most promising clinical trials have failed.
In its review posted online Wednesday, FDA said two Boehringer [the drug manufacturer] studies failed to show a significant increase in sexual desire, as recorded by women in a daily journal. Women taking the drug reported slightly more sexually satisfying experiences, but FDA said that was not the primary measure of the study.
"The division wanted to see that an effect of treatment is an overall increase in sexual desire regardless of whether a sexual event occurred or not," states the FDA review.
The FDA also noted increased side effects like depression, fainting and dizziness seen among women taking the pink pill.
The drug, which is related to the antidepressant family, affects serotonin and several other brain chemicals, though it's not clear how that increases sex drive....Urologists say arousal in women is so complicated that it may be unrealistic to expect a pill to completely address sexual problems.
...Pharmaceutical approaches to boosting female libido have evolved over time. Initially, most treatments aimed to increase blood flow to the genitals, similar to Viagra. A second wave of would-be blockbusters focused on boosting hormones, including testosterone, which is linked to sexual interest. Flibanserin is the first drug to approach the problem through brain chemistry.
The FDA has approved an unusual handheld vacuum device that increases blood flow to the clitoris to increase sexual arousal. But all drug therapies have fallen short so far....
...Medical surveys have estimated more than 40 percent of women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction; Boehringer estimates as many as one in 10 women could be helped by its drug.
Boehringer tried to zero in on the chemical aspect of sexual dysfunction by only testing its drug on premenopausal women who were in stable relationships and not taking other medications. Despite wanting to have a sexual relationship, the women enrolled in company studies reported a persistent lack of desire that caused them "distress or interpersonal difficulty."
Leonore Tiefer, a psychiatry professor at New York University who runs a private sex therapy practice, believes drugmakers have oversimplified female sexuality. She says in most cases lack of sex drive has more to do with the quality of one's relationship and lifestyle than brain chemicals.
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