The first pill designed to boost the female sex drive called Flibanserine and manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim, failed to make a significant impact on libido in two studies, federal health regulators said.

In its review posted online Wednesday, FDA said two Boehringer Ingelheim’s 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 the FDA said the study was not designed to measure this outcome.

Boehringer Ingelheim‘s submitted the drug flibanserin for premenopausal women who report a lack of sexual desire, to the FDA for approval. Drug companies have been targeting sexual desire issues in women for more than a decade since the blockbuster success of Viagra in men. Since Pfizer launched Viagra in 1998, more than two dozen experimental therapies have been studied for female sexual dysfunction, a market analysts estimate at $2 billion. However, the search for so-called “female Viagra,” has proved elusive and many companies have abandoned their efforts after showing poor results.

Medical surveys have estimated more than 40% of women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction and drug manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim estimates as many as one in 10 women could be helped by its drug. “We don’t know specifically what the exact mechanism of action is but we believe it acts on brain chemicals that have a role in human sexual response,” said Dr. Peter Piliero, executive director for Boehringer’s U.S. medical affairs.

Leonore Tiefer, a psychiatry professor at New York University who runs a private sex therapy practice, believes drugmakers, including Boehringer Ingelheim, 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.

J. Kyle Mathews, MD

Tags: Boehringer Ingelheim, dysfunction, FDA, female, female sex drive, female viagra, loss of sexual desire, low female libido, medical, Menopause, sex drive, sexual, Sexual Dysfunction, women | Category: News & Education, Sexual Dysfunction |