Pill that Stokes Female Sexual Desire Shows Early Promise
What’s the Latest Development?
In hopes of FDA approval, the Dutch inventor Adriaan Tuiten is currently testing two different pills that work to increase feelings of sexual desire in women. One, called Lybrido, has a peppermint-flavored testosterone coating that melts in the mouth and, when the exterior is gone, the woman swallows a delayed-release inner tablet. “This inner pill is a close cousin of Viagra. The idea is that the Viagra-like molecule, by making extra blood flow to the genitals and adding to swelling and sensation, will work in conjunction with the testosterone. Together they will stir the mind to be more aware of erotic impulses; together they will help spark dopamine networks.”
What’s the Big Idea?
Female sexual desire has proven more mysterious than men’s and it has been more resistant to pharmaceutical tinkering. In preliminary studies, however, Tuiten’s pills are working, making women more desiring of their long-term male counterparts. “Perhaps the fantasy that so many of us harbor, consciously or not, in the early days of our relationships, that we have found a soul mate who will offer us both security and passion, till death do us part, will soon be available with the aid of a pill.” The FDA is likely to ask Tuiten to do another larger set of trials, which will involve about 1,200 subjects. If all goes well, Lybrido may be on the market by 2016.
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