Flibanserin: a potential treatment for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in premenopausal women

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is defined as a persistent or recurrent deficiency of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity, which causes marked personal distress or interpersonal difficulty, and is not better accounted for by another psychiatric disorder or the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a medication) or medical condition. HSDD is believed to be the most common form of Female Sexual Dysfunction and is associated with emotional distress and relationship problems. No pharmacologic therapy is approved for the treatment of HSDD in premenopausal or naturally postmenopausal women. Flibanserin is a 5-HT1A agonist/5-HT2A antagonist that is under investigation as a treatment for HSDD in women. The aim of this article is to present an overview of the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of flibanserin. Flibanserin is an investigational drug that is not licensed for any indication in any country.