German drug giant Boehringer Ingelheim has halted development on Flibanserin, a pill 
many referred to as “pink Viagra” or “female Viagra.” The proposed drug was denied approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August after an FDA advisory panel in June recommended the same.
The pharmaceutical company said the reason for abandoning the drug was “the complexity and extent of further questions that would need to be addressed to potentially obtain registration.”
There was great controversy surrounding not only the efficacy of the drug but the condition which it was supposed to treat. Flibanserin was touted by Boehringer Ingelheim to be effective at improving women’s sex drive. This condition is often called female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD), which is defined as the unexplained loss of sexual thoughts, fantasies, and desire. Others, including Boehringer Ingelheim, call this condition hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
More than 5,000 women have taken part in clinical trials for Flibanserin. During these trials, women reported that their average number of satisfying sexual experiences increased from 2.7 to 4.5 (versus 3.7 with placebo).
Although the drug helped many women, the great debate as to what effect. Many argue that these numbers are not statistically significant. In fact, many in the medical community have accused Boehringer Ingelheim of exaggerating both the severity of HSDD, as well as the extent to which Flibanserin can effectively treat the condition.
In fact, a sex therapist who is a professor of psychiatry at New York University stated that Flibanserin was “the latest travesty in the decade-long hunt for a so-called ‘pink Viagra.’” The professor claimed that Boehringer Ingelheim was obviously more interested in marketing a condition rather than effectively treating it, as evidenced by the company’s unwillingness to provide further, more convincing, data on safety and efficacy.
There’s even a new book out that debunks the so-called myth of an effective pink Viagra. It’s called “Sex, Lies, and Pharmaceuticals – How drug companies plan to profit from female sexual dysfunction.” The book is authored by Roy Moynihan and Barbara Mintzes.
Although FSAD and HSDD may exist, it’s tough for even those in the medical community to define or measure what the “average” sex life should be. How many satisfying sexual experiences should a woman have per month? Is she suffering from sexual dysfunction if she does not reach this number?
Flibanserin was initially considered as an anti-depressant that works to increase or decrease certain chemicals in the brain (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine). It only figures that if a woman is in a better mood, she will be more inclined to have a gratifying sexual experience. In this case, any anti-depressant might work in some way to improve a woman’s sex life.
Thankfully for men, the efficacy of Viagra was proven beyond the shadow of a doubt in clinical trials. Forgive the wording, but the efficacy of achieving erections is much easier to measure. This does not mean Viagra will work for all men, but most men experience a noticeable improvement.
Unfortunately for women, their options are limited when it comes to sexual dysfunction issues such as FSAD and HSDD. Men have their choice of medications when it comes to erectile dysfunction (ED), and many choose to buy Viagra online.
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