Women's 'Viagra' Gets FDA Approval

This is not your husband’s Viagra.

Addyi – the first prescription libido pill for women – works nothing like the pioneer sexual dysfunction drug for men, advises Jill Maura Rabin, MD, co-chief of ambulatory care and head of urogynecology at LIJ Medical Center.

“Addyi does not address the female version of an erection like Viagra does for men,” Dr. Rabin said. “It’s definitely not like that. It’s not for women who say, ‘Well, I have a low libido. I’ll pop a pill.”

Dr. Rabin explained that the pill – approved this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – is specifically for pre-menopausal women coping with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, that it must be taken at bedtime every night and that it is never to be taken while drinking alcohol.

“This is not for women having a problem with their relationship or for women who have a low libido because of the medication they’re on or because of relationship and psychological problems,” she said.

While frustrated that the salmon-colored pill has been nicknamed in the media as “pink Viagra,” Dr. Rabin is also pleased that Addyi’s approval helps close the gap between the dozens of drugs available for men’s sexual health and the number available to women.

“This may be good for a very small subset of people, but I will not be surprised if I have people coming into my office in droves saying, ‘I want that pink pill to increase my libido,’” she said. “This medication is the start of something big. It does open the door for women and paves the way to a level playing field.”

Clinical trials reviewed by the FDA showed that pre-menopausal women taking Addyi reported a measurable rise in sexual desire and that their number of “sexually satisfying encounters” jumped by about one per month.

What is unique about Addyi – the trade name given to the drug flibanserin by Sprout Pharmaceuticals – is that it is the first prescription drug to treat a lagging libido for either sex. Viagra and other drugs approved for men’s sexual health either improve blood flow to produce erections or boost testosterone levels. But those drugs do not jumpstart desire.

The most common side effects of Addyi include dizziness, sleepiness, nausea and fatigue, according to the FDA. Consuming alcohol increases the risk of low blood pressure and fainting.

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