Female Libido Drug Rejected by U.S. Regulators

Of course, you've got your Viagra-after all, men have to be "ready to go" even in their nineties.

And then, there's talk about a female "Viagra." Unfortunately, the drug flibanserin, a female libido pill produced by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, was knocked down by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to NPR, the FDA questions whether the drug's benefits out-weigh its risks. For instance, it's noted that fatigue, dizziness and nausea are included in the list of side effects, among other things, with a little to modest libido increase according to studies. 

And unfortunately at this time, chances for approval of the drug appear slim. Of the 17 appeals the FDA considered last year, 14 were denied, according to government figures.

Though such drugs as Viagra, for instance, work to increase blood flow to the genitals in men who with erectile dysfunction, many women's sexual issues are psychological and not physical. As a result, there are a number of alternate causes doctors must consider before diagnosing female sexual desire disorder included in relationship problems, hormone disorders and depression.

"Erectile dysfunction is a really easy thing to measure," Emory University researcher Kim Wallen said, according to the news organization. "Motivation is a hard thing to measure and, quite honestly, we don't know enough about what creates sexual motivation to manipulate it."

Many also speculate that if a pill to enhance female libido were ever to be used, it would most likely be coupled with therapies and non-drug techniques used to reduce stress and improve self-image.

However, the pharmaceutical company that's branding the product argues that their product should be approved. Yet the FDA has twice rejected flibanserin since 2010 as only 1.7 percent of women taking the prescription said it intercourse was more sexually satisfying than those taking a placebo.

At this time, the FDA is expected to make a decision on Sprout's appeal in the first quarter of next year.