Flibanserin Viagra for women nearing approval

Viagra for the man brings the pharmaceutical company billions in profits. Now there should also be a pill to increase the lust of the woman. Flibanserin, also called "Pink Viagra", will soon be approved in the US. Also for Europe manufacturers plan to bring the pill on the market. But is the remedy really useful? What are the side effects? And who is she thinking? Questions and answers from the experts.

Viagra for the wife should come
About 16 years ago, after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the male-enhancement pill, Viagra, the pharmaceutical industry's feverish search began for a female counterpart. Once before, the "Pink Viagra" suffered a setback. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the US company Sprout Pharmaceuticals for more in-depth research into potential side effects for its libido-promoting pill flibanserin. But now the tablet also called "Pink Viagra" has taken an important hurdle in the US for approval. An FDA committee recommended that the drug be approved. The pill is intended to help women who suffer from discomfort for sex.

Drug affects the psyche of women
According to a news agency dpa, "Viagra for women" does not look like Viagra for men. The latter remedy has a physical effect: In men with erection problems it ensures that the penis becomes stiff when they feel pleasure. "Pink Viagra" on the other hand affects the psyche of women and should help the desire for sex only on the jumps. According to FDA, the exact mode of action of flibanserin is unknown. However, it is known that the drug increases the activity of the known as happiness hormone dopamine and norepinephrine and that of serotonin lowers. This could lead to women with weak libido having more desire for sex at the right moment. But the pill must be taken every day.

Only suitable for a few women
Lack of desire for sex is widespread according to experts. Christian Albring, president of the professional association of gynecologists, said: "One has to assume that 30 to 40 percent of women are affected by it." Women in long relationships are more likely to find it. "There are a number of reasons why women do not feel like having sex anymore." Stress, overwork, habit, and physical ailments are just a few of them. Albring estimates that the drug is suitable for less than ten percent of patients. The majority of those affected can be helped with talks and advice. In addition, prolonged sleep can increase the desire. This emerges from a US study, which had established a connection between sleep and good sex. You should only resort to medication if nothing else helps. Albring believes that even the knowledge of a drug solution could help some women.

Side effects need to be explored more closely
It is unclear whether and when there could be Flibanserin in Germany. As a spokeswoman for the German licensing authority, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) announced that they have not yet received an application. And according to a spokeswoman, there is no application for the European Medicines Agency EMA. It's also not allowed in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration wants to know first possible side effects and how the pill reacts with other medicines. The committee had also stated that flibanserin should be given strict warnings about the risks and side effects such as fainting and low blood pressure. After the drug was twice rejected by the FDA, there had been strong protests from women's rights groups in the US. They accused the authorities of sexism because they admitted Viagra, not Flibanserin. Other groups, however, claimed that the company was abusing the activists to push through a drug that had not yet been proven safe.

German invention
Originally Flibanserin was a development of the Rhineland-Palatinate Boehringer Ingelheim, but the project in 2010 after a negative FDA report gave up. Thereafter, Sprout Pharmaceuticals of Raleigh, North Carolina undertook the research that could now lead to success. The drug "flibanserin" was actually developed to relieve depression. During the development, the researchers of the pharmaceutical company discovered that the substance can also increase the sense of pleasure of women. Thus, the drug should be sold as "Rosa Viagra" in pharmacies, especially to give women before menopause, an increase in libido. However, studies had shown at the time that women who took the funds had only a modest upward trend in their "sexually satisfying events". In addition, side effects often occurred in studies. These included dizziness, tiredness and nausea. Occasionally insomnia, dry mouth, constipation and stress could be observed as a side effect. In addition, the clinical studies showed that the sedative effect of the substance could also increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Even the spilled by a couple Labor Sprout could not eradicate the pitfalls of the pill apparently. Ten percent of the subjects reported in a study of the company after the daily intake of the agent from occurring drowsiness. (sb, ad)

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